


so step on up to the plate

by MollyRenata



Series: the sun, the moon, the fool and the lovers [6]
Category: Persona 4
Genre: Drama, Growing Up, Mentions of non-consensual groping, Multi, Polyamory, Romance, Spoilers, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:49:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 35,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26950141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MollyRenata/pseuds/MollyRenata
Summary: After six years of wandering, Sho decides that maybe it's time to start thinking about settling down.He has some pretty serious obstacles to overcome first, though.(Sequel to "break out of your head")
Relationships: Kujikawa Rise/Minazuki Sho, Kujikawa Rise/Narukami Yu, Minazuki Sho/Narukami Yu, mentioned Shirogane Naoto/Tatsumi Kanji
Series: the sun, the moon, the fool and the lovers [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937416
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	1. the first day of the rest of your life

**Author's Note:**

> This idea originally started as "how would the OT4 handle family planning?" It morphed into something completely different and a lot more serious. Whoops.
> 
> Please keep in mind that I am *not* guaranteed to finish this. I have a few ideas, but nothing really concrete at this point, and I might still burn out with how much I've been writing lately... but for now, here, have this sequel to a fic that I probably shouldn't have written in the first place!

* * *

Six years had passed since the night the world turned red.

Despite everything that had happened since then, Sho Minazuki never allowed himself to forget that night. He had been blinded from the truth, the whole of his being shrouded in a miserable fog that kept him isolated from the world around him; without knowing any better, he had blamed the world for not accepting him, and attempted to bring about a new world where only _he_ stood. The plan was a failure, of course - it had been poorly thought out, and once the fog cleared at last, he stewed in his regret for two more months before fate decided that it had _other_ plans for him.

Since then, Sho had maintained contact with the two people who had changed him most - Yu Narukami and Rise Kujikawa. After his initial three-year absence from their physical presence, he realized that he couldn't keep going on like that, and made a vow to visit them more frequently from that point forward. Each year since had resulted in multiple trips to wherever the two resided, with the town of Inaba still being their favored location.

Now, however, Sho wasn't going to Inaba. His destination was in the midst of a crowded city, vast on a scale that he would never have been able to imagine in his misspent youth; he had grown stronger over the years, and his other half had continued to aid him through his struggles, but the thought of being surrounded by so many people still gave him pause.

For this purpose, he would have to set aside those reservations. The message he'd received from his boyfriend was short and informal, but the weight it carried was far beyond anything Sho had even _considered_ burdening himself with before. It was odd that Yu had chosen to deliver the message through text, as it was _more_ than serious enough to warrant a proper call and extended conversation-

_"Rise and I are thinking about getting married. You want in?"_

Sho hadn't been able to come up with a proper response, and instead told Yu that he wanted to talk about it further in person - preferably with Rise present as well. After confirming the arrangement with both of them, Sho had set aside his mission and set his sights on Yu's residence, a myriad of thoughts swirling through his head as he went.

His contract with the Velvet Room had lasted for _far_ longer than that of his beloved _leader man._ The war against the Kirijo Group's dark side seemed to last forever - even with the recent truce between him and the Shadow Operatives, both of them struggled to make any headway, and Sho had begun to wonder if there was any point in continuing. He wanted nothing more than to settle the score he still had with them, but...

The sands of time had worn down his anger, his _hate._ He longed for companionship more than ever now, and the inheritance he'd received from Ikutsuki had _finally_ been spent, almost in its entirety. The message was little more than a trigger; Sho had been reconsidering his journey for some time already, and he just needed an _excuse_ to put it to an end.

Yeah, it was time to _step up._ His future was at stake here, and he would _never_ forgive himself if he ruined the relationships he had with the two most important people in his life through inaction - but he had the feeling that the question Yu had asked would not be so easily answered.

The number one issue on Sho's mind was, of course, how would an arrangement like that even _work?_ If all went well, he would find out soon enough, but - was this going to be the end for the love he'd hidden so deep in his heart that he hadn't even known it _existed,_ or would he be able to persevere past his greatest trial yet?

If nothing else, Sho wasn't the sort to go down without a _fight,_ and he kept that in mind as he waited in the elevator that would take him to the apartment Yu lived in.

* * *

In retrospect, the method in which Yu had delivered his message was _not_ the greatest.

He had been tired and stressed out from work, and had tried to think of things that would distract him; his recent talks with Rise had been the first thing that came to mind, and that led him into a whole _new_ world of concerns that he wasn't quite sure how to handle. With how scatterbrained he'd been at the time, it was no surprise that he'd made a big mistake like that - yet to his infinite relief, it was all cleared up with relative ease, and after the arrangement was made, he just waited in his apartment for the promised meeting.

If all went well, Yu would be moving into a proper house within the year. For some time now, he had considered quitting his current job and moving to Inaba; as it turned out, being a journalist in a big city was _hard_ for someone who sought the truth as fervently as he did, and he wasn't very popular among his colleagues. At the very least, if he went back to the place he considered _home,_ it would be far easier to dispel the fog of lies that permeated every article he read and wrote.

...Not that he was any stranger to lying for the greater good. The bond Yu had with his wandering lover necessitated it - Sho _hated_ it when he got too much attention from people he didn't know, and he had wanted to keep the relationship hidden from the public eye. Even worse was the bond they both had with Rise; Yu had a hard enough time dealing with the spotlight that dating a pop idol brought him, and he didn't want to imagine what Sho would feel like if the truth got out. The scandal alone would break him completely... the rising star Risette, in a polyamorous arrangement with two different men, one of which had a criminal record a mile long?

That didn't even take Minazuki into account, either. Sho's other half had his _own_ special bond with Yu and Rise, and he had made every effort to keep the truth of his shared existence under wraps; most people just _wouldn't understand,_ with the most obvious and immediate conclusion being that Sho had something _seriously_ wrong with his head - which _was_ true, to some extent, but in this particular case, it couldn't be _further_ from the truth. Sho and Minazuki were separate entities, separate _people,_ and the fact that they shared a body did not change that one bit.

In its entirety, the situation was _almost_ too much for Yu. The stress of his occupation, which demanded that he go against his core beliefs; the stress of dating Rise, who was famous across the country and had every eye on her and her lover alike; the stress of maintaining a long-distance relationship with Sho and Minazuki, who didn't want to deal with the public scrutiny that their bond would bring... the only thing that kept Yu going was his own determination, which hadn't weakened over the years. He refused to just let everything crash and burn after all the effort he'd put into holding it together - but he still wondered if this would be the ultimate breaking point.

Rise was the first to arrive at the meeting's location, and Yu welcomed her into his residence in the same fashion as always - a hug, a kiss, and a verbal greeting, though he decided that the rest could wait for _later._ She was uncharacteristically quiet as she settled herself onto the couch in the apartment's living area, her own anxiety clear; Yu wondered how _she_ felt about all this, if she had neared her breaking point as well, and he had the firm belief that if everything went as planned, he would find out sooner rather than later.

Of course, that _did_ assume everything went as planned. The third and fourth parties in this meeting had a tendency to throw a wrench into everything, as they had six years ago when they first made their presence known; for better or worse, that hadn't changed, and so it was impossible to anticipate what would happen next with them around. When he was younger, it had been exciting, but now Yu just wanted some definitive answers to the myriad questions that floated around in his head.

Would they be able to maintain a polygamous arrangement? Was that even what Sho wanted? How would the general populace react if their stars turned out to be dating a rebel with a split personality in secret? Would the insidious truth of the other world be made public knowledge at last?

These thoughts didn't leave Yu's mind, even as the doorbell rang for the second time that evening and he made his way over to answer it. When he saw the scarred young man standing on the other side of the door, another question flashed through his head, unbidden-

Would Sho ever stop risking his life for a grudge that should have been settled years ago, or would he go on fighting a losing battle until it inevitably killed him?

The welcoming embrace that Yu gave Sho was not as enthusiastic as it should have been, and he hated the fact that his lover _noticed,_ pulling away with a distinct frown on his face. The amount of stuff that Sho carried with him indicated that he intended to stay for more than just the night - that made sense, as this was a very serious subject which might take multiple conversations to work out.

Thankfully, Rise had prepared for such an occasion, and she had scheduled some time off for the next week or so. This did not chase away the distraught expression that she bore when she looked at Sho - now, more than ever, the truth had started to become clear.

"...Hell with it, I'm not in the mood for this serious shit tonight. Let's just _relax._ "

Sho's words carried a tone of finality, and Yu decided that just this once, they could put off _the talk._ If they wanted to make this work, they would have to affirm the strength of their connection anyway, and there was no better way to do that than to spend time together _without_ the weight of the future on their shoulders.

For now, unpacking and settling in seemed like a good start. After all, Sho carried a _surprising_ amount of stuff for someone who never spent long in one place.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping for a happy ending, if I manage to get that far. However, it will be a rocky road - a story is all about the journey, right?
> 
> I decided that, given his whole "pursuing the truth" schtick, journalism would be a great career choice for Yu. Of course, it also poses a lot of problems for him!


	2. dawn of the first day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still haven't decided on a proper direction for this, so it's probably going to meander a lot. Have some fluff and a bit of drama for starters.

* * *

The first evening of Sho's stay proved one thing, at the very least - Rise still loved both Sho and Minazuki with all her heart.

Minazuki had remained inside Sho's head, but Rise could _feel_ his presence; a well of calm within the chaos that was Sho's soul, a voice of reason to guide the boy he had been born to protect. Sho relayed Minazuki's words through his own, and though Rise was sure that they were _quite different,_ the sentiment was clear - Minazuki had his own set of concerns about this situation, but for the time being, he just wanted to express how he felt toward Yu and Rise.

Yu's bed wasn't anywhere _near_ large enough for three bodies and four souls, so they had ended up falling asleep together on the couch in the apartment's main living area. When she awoke the next morning, Rise found herself still tangled in Sho's embrace, while Yu had gotten up to make breakfast - very typical of him, though she kind of wanted to spend just a _little_ more time with him.

Perhaps another time. Sho's body was warm, and his presence soothing; Rise snuggled closer to her scarred lover, noting how he shifted a bit in response to her touch, and the confused noise he made indicated that he had been asleep until that point - how _adorable._

"...G'mornin'," Sho murmured, his voice quiet. "You awake, Rise...?"

Rise answered him with a hum, nuzzling his shoulder as she gave him a gentle squeeze. "Good morning, Sho-kun... I just woke up." She paused, and gave a soft giggle. "You're so warm, I didn't even need a blanket..."

"Y'sure that wasn't 'cuz of Yu?" As Sho spoke the name of their other lover, he looked over to the kitchenette, and a hint of intrigue crept into his tone. "Hey, what's for breakfast?"

"You're pretty _hot-blooded,_ " Yu remarked, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the sizzling of the frying pan he used. "...It's omelette rice this morning. I didn't feel like making anything more elaborate... sorry."

Of course, Rise wasn't about to complain about Yu's decision, though his cooking was sometimes a little too _bland_ for her tastes. The two of them could _never_ agree on seasoning - it was one of the few things they argued over on a regular basis.

"Don't worry about it," Rise insisted; she smiled, despite the fact that Yu couldn't see her face right now. "Thank you for making us breakfast... it must be difficult, with how stressed you are."

"I _always_ love cooking for you two." Yu's tone was bright, and it sounded _nice_ \- he didn't deserve to question himself like he had yesterday. "Besides, since Sho's staying here, I want to make sure he feels welcome. I wouldn't be much of a host otherwise, right?"

Sho's grip on Rise tightened, and she gave him a pat on the back in response. She could tell that he was still a bit tense, and she wanted him to feel comfortable; regardless of the issue he'd come here to discuss, both she and Yu loved him, and they would do everything in their power to secure his happiness.

"...How long are you planning to stay, anyway?" Rise turned her full attention to Sho, curious. "You brought a lot of stuff..."

"Right now, I don't know." Sho shook his head, and gave a half-shrug; despite his clear discomfort, he continued to try and maintain a casual attitude - that was so very much like him. "I was thinkin'... at least a week. Maybe two. Could be longer. Depends on how things go."

If this discussion went on for longer than two weeks, things could get dicey. Rise wasn't sure if her manager would let her take _that_ much time off to resolve a domestic dispute - she had given that as her reason when she spoke with him, and she was sure that she would be getting a _lot_ of calls from him over the course of her _vacation._

Maybe she should have lied and said she was going back to Inaba instead...

"Breakfast is ready." Yu's announcement cut through any attempt at a conversation between Sho and Rise, and the two of them reluctantly parted from each other to stand up. At the very least, the odds were that this would become part of their routine for the duration of this stay; during these moments, they could eat and chat together as if nothing was wrong - as if no potentially relationship-shattering issue loomed over their heads.

Rise wished that it could stay that way, though she knew logically that it _couldn't_ \- they would _have_ to have the talk, at some point or other, and she dreaded that moment like nothing else.

* * *

Shortly after breakfast, a problem became apparent - Yu had a job, and due to the fact that he could work from home, that meant he didn't have much of an excuse to take a _break_ from that job.

This, of course, meant that Sho and Rise were left to their own devices. While he usually enjoyed spending time with her, Sho was too restless to focus on Rise at the moment; he paced back and forth across the room, ignoring the occasional worried glances he got from both his lovers, and after a while of this, he turned his attention to his other half - surely Minazuki would have a thing or two to say about this.

"Hey, _you._ " Sho addressed the entity inside his head in a demanding tone, making his irritation clear. "Say something."

 _'What is it you wish for me to say?'_ Minazuki's response had an edge of annoyed sarcasm, indicating that he wasn't in the best of moods, either. _'Simply tell me, and I will make it so.'_

"I dunno..." Sho stopped in his pacing, wishing that he could claw the little asshole out of his head like he'd tried to do that one time. "Something. _Anything._ I don't give a damn anymore, I just need a _distraction._ "

 _'A distraction from the discussion you intend to engage in with Narukami and Kujikawa,'_ Minazuki stated, and his presence shifted - yep, he was _definitely_ annoyed. _'I believe you should focus on that, instead. Consider what you will tell them when the time comes.'_

"...You're _such_ a pain in the ass," Sho muttered, and he turned to the couch, stepping over to seat himself. "S'not like I can talk it over with 'em _now._ Yu's too busy."

 _'Yes, but that does not mean you cannot consider it.'_ Minazuki's tone grew insistent; it seemed that he wasn't going to back down on this. _'I have my own opinion on the matter, though I somehow doubt it is one that you share.'_

Sho leaned back, sprawling himself out on the couch. "Oh yeah? Try me. What's your take?"

 _'To accept whatever compromise they have to offer,'_ Minazuki replied. _'I would not be opposed to... **polygamy,** if that is the course of action they would prefer. However, considering our mission, we may not be able to...'_

"Yeah, yeah." If he was to be honest, Sho didn't really _want_ to think about his mission right now; he'd pushed it to the back of his mind on purpose, and was still strongly considering just quitting it altogether. "Y'think _those guys_ 'd care if I quit?"

He was referring to the residents of the Velvet Room, but it seemed that Rise misinterpreted his statement - she looked over at him, worry plain on her features, and when he realized his mistake, Sho raised a hand in an effort to pacify her.

"No, uh, it's... it's got nothing to do with you two," he said, shaking his head. "I got some... _employers._ "

Revealing the details of the Velvet Room to one who had not been in attendance was, as far as Sho was aware, a strict taboo. Yu was a different story - _they_ could talk about those things, to an extent, but Rise had never been a guest, and so Sho had made a _major_ error in letting that slip. At the very least, his explanation appeared to calm her, and she went back to staring at her feet in short order.

 _'...The question is whether **you** would be in opposition.'_ Minazuki picked up the discussion where it had left off, as if there had been no interruptions whatsoever. _'I am your guardian... my will is as yours. If you were to turn your back on your goal, I would follow you without complaint... the decision is yours to make.'_

"Still haven't decided that part." Sho breathed a long sigh, wishing that he could just _make up his mind_ already. "I mean. I'm still pissed at the Kirijos, but... I'm also kinda getting tired of all the fighting, y'know? Sometimes a guy just wants to kick back and relax."

 _'I'm not sure if this means you've matured or not...'_ Minazuki's tone lightened - it seemed he was feeling a bit better. _'As I said, it's your decision. However, I believe we should engage in a certain discussion with Narukami and Kujikawa before you make that decision.'_

In contrast, Sho's own mood soured - couldn't the bastard just take a hint? "Yeah, and we can't talk about it until he's off work, so _quit it_ already. I don't _wanna_ think about what I'm gonna say."

 _'A perspective which has caused you trouble numerous times,'_ Minazuki pointed out, insufferable as always. _'I would prefer for you to form your **own** opinions, rather than parroting mine... especially when it comes to **this** subject. If you're asking me to think for you, this is one field in which I cannot.'_

Sho didn't want to admit it, but Minazuki kind of had a point. _That_ guy had already decided on what he wanted to say, and here Sho was, still waffling back and forth like an idiot - that was how it _always_ was with them, regardless of the subject. It was just that Sho was used to Minazuki's opinion being _more_ important than his own, due to the fact that most of their disagreements had to do with less _personal_ things.

"Fine then." Sho made a decision at last - though it was a rather short-term one. "You take over and tell 'em how you feel, then when you give control back to me, I'll think about what I want to say. That work for you?"

 _'No,'_ was Minazuki's immediate response. _'You cannot think for yourself while I am in control, therefore it would be a waste of time. In this particular situation, your opinion matters more than mine. Be responsible.'_

Of course he'd be unreasonable about this. That was just how Minazuki was - stubborn as hell, always pushing Sho to do things on his own like some kind of parent trying to kick their kid out of the nest. While the little piece of shit _did_ kind of have a point, Sho was no slouch when it came to stubbornness himself, so he just shook his head and pouted in response to Minazuki's statement, saying nothing.

Sho's opinion mattered more than Minazuki's - did that mean Minazuki would be willing to give up his own happiness without a struggle if Sho decided to bail? That was _horrible,_ and yet... at the same time, it made Sho realize something.

He wasn't just making this decision for _himself._ He was making it for the _both_ of them, for _their_ future - regardless of which course he took. This made the weight of his decision all the _more_ oppressive, and-

How was he supposed to think seriously about this when he couldn't even think straight to begin with?

 _'...Perhaps I was mistaken.'_ Minazuki's voice distracted Sho from the closed loop of despair he'd managed to put himself into. _'Perhaps you are correct. In your current state, you are incapable of making a decision... then, would you be opposed to me taking over for a time?'_

That offer was... _very_ tempting. Sho considered this for a moment, then hummed his assent - at the very least, if Minazuki was in control, Sho wouldn't have to worry about this for a while.

"Yeah, go ahead and take over," he confirmed with a nod. "...I could use a nap."

Sho glanced over at Rise, and noted the curious expression on her face before his consciousness began to fade; he trusted Minazuki to explain the situation to her, as he always did.

For now, it was time to stop dealing with responsibilities, until Minazuki decided to give control back to Sho - whenever _that_ would be.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sho has matured somewhat, but he still has a long way to go.


	3. reinforcement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops.

* * *

It wasn't hard to tell that Sho had ceded control to Minazuki. The words he'd spoken, the way their shared body slumped over before sitting upright once again - Rise had seen the process countless times before, and she had to admit that it wasn't surprising at all that Sho didn't want to deal with the current situation. He was a ball of stress normally, and when he had to _wait_ like this...

Rise didn't enjoy it, either. She had tried to occupy herself by sending text messages to her friends, but only a few of them answered; she had to remind herself that they all had lives of their own, and their respective occupations sometimes put a damper on communication, but - of all people, _Kanami_ was available?

"Kujikawa..." Minazuki's smooth voice caught Rise's attention, and she looked up at him once again. "I apologize if our conversation disrupted you. He is quite distressed..."

"I think we _all_ are." Rise offered a slightly forced smile. "Don't apologize... I understand." She recalled something that Sho had mentioned, and tilted her head. "What did he mean by _employers,_ though?"

Minazuki's expression darkened. "It is something we cannot discuss with you... regrettably. Were it our decision, we would share that information with you freely... perhaps it would be best to ask Narukami, instead. He... once had the same association."

Mysterious employers that Yu had worked with in the past - it didn't make any sense to Rise, but she had a feeling that the truth was a lot more complicated than that explanation offered. If it was something that not even Yu had told her about before, then maybe there was a very good reason to keep the details secret; she was still curious, but decided to let the subject drop for the time being.

"So... it's something you can't talk about." Rise nodded once, then stood from her seat and moved a bit closer to Minazuki. "I understand... sorry for asking."

"Your curiosity is understandable," Minazuki pointed out. "...Nor will I hide anything _else_ from you. My feelings regarding this situation are... admittedly rather similar to his. I have already made my decision... however, in this instance, his opinion supersedes mine."

"And why is that?" Rise inquired, not quite understanding what he meant by that. "...Shouldn't your opinion be just as important?"

Minazuki shook his head, and turned his gaze to the floor - a rare display of anxiety from him. "I am... his guardian. I would _not_ interfere with his happiness... regardless of whether his decision disrupts my own. To selfishly pursue my own desires above his would go against my vow - my _purpose._ "

Even after all this time, he still struggled with that. It was only natural, of course; as Sho and Minazuki shared a body, they _had_ to agree on certain things, even if they didn't necessarily _want_ to. If the two of them inhabited separate bodies, this wouldn't be a problem - they could go their own ways without causing each other trouble, but as things were, that was an impossibility.

It was, if Rise was to be honest, rather tragic.

"So you need to wait for him to make up his mind..." A thought crossed Rise's mind, and she seated herself beside Minazuki. "...That might take a while, and he's asleep right now, so... is there anything I can do to help in the meantime?"

Minazuki clearly understood Rise's intent - he pulled her into his lap, holding her close to him, and the way he seemed almost _desperate_ was so very unlike him. "...As a matter of fact, _yes._ "

"Okay..." Rise shifted in his lap, making herself comfortable; she looked up at him, and raised one hand to touch his face, her thumb tracing along the edge of his scar. "...I'll stay here with you."

It was something they _both_ needed, really. As Minazuki leaned into her touch, Rise wished that there was something more she could do for him; she couldn't even _imagine_ how distraught he was over this, as she was sure that he did not want to let go of his own happiness - but he would do so without hesitation if Sho decided to leave. Her heart ached for him, on a level that she couldn't recall ever feeling before-

The moment was shattered by a notification sound from Rise's cellphone, and she breathed a short sigh as she shifted away to answer it. A text message from Kanami - just what was that girl _doing_ right now? Didn't she have her job to deal with?

"...Your associate?" To his credit, Minazuki didn't seem _too_ perturbed by the interruption. "If you wish to reply, then I will not..."

"No, it's okay," Rise insisted, shaking her head as she smiled at him. "I'll just tell her I'm busy."

She made her response with as much haste as possible, then muted her phone and put it away. It wasn't a lie - she _was_ busy, with something far more important than giving her colleague fashion advice. Maybe she shouldn't have shut out her friends just so she could emotionally support one of her boyfriends, but...

If Sho decided to leave, Rise wanted to spend as much time as she could with Minazuki, to treasure her last moments together with him - and she was sure that he felt the same.

"...We'll settle this." Rise made an effort to sound reassuring, though it wasn't all that convincing. "Please continue to be patient until then... okay?"

"I intend to." Even as he spoke, Minazuki embraced Rise tightly, as if he never wanted to let go of her. "Regardless of his decision... know that I love you, and that I always will."

It was rare for him to express his feelings like that, but if there was ever a time for it, it was _now._ Rise closed her eyes as she leaned against him, reaching up to stroke his facial scar again-

"I love you too," she told him, her voice soft. "...I always will."

That was right - no matter what the future held for them, their bond would _never_ be forgotten.

* * *

Today's work had involved editing an opinion piece - Yu's least favorite part of the job.

The only opinion of his that ultimately held any water when it came to this profession was his desire to know the truth. His superiors had other ideas, and thought to drag his opinions out of him by force; it wasn't like his perspective on the case of some authority figure suddenly confessing to unimaginable crimes last year _mattered,_ and if the cause had been supernatural like he suspected, he doubted anyone would believe what he had to say. This particular article had become somewhat of a drag to work on as a result, and the fact that the deadline was just a couple days off didn't help any.

All things considered, the timing couldn't have been worse. Yu wished that he had been able to keep this whole _marriage_ issue under wraps for at least a little longer, so that he could focus better on getting this stupid job _done and over with_ \- but as it was, a certain _incident_ had distracted him, and he'd ended up spending more time than he wanted to on today's work.

It wasn't like him to be this frazzled. He hoped that the discussion he intended to have with Sho bore some sort of fruit - the sooner Yu got out of this dead-end job and into something more comfortable, the better.

As fate would have it, Sho didn't emerge again until the evening. That was no surprise, as he had it worse than any of the other people involved; from the sound of it, Minazuki had put the entire weight of the decision on him, and that was _entirely_ too much pressure for someone who already had a host of other issues. Yu would not be surprised if Sho ended up leaving the arrangement - it was an _awful_ thought, but all things considered, it would be the easiest way to deal with the situation.

When they all sat down together at the table after dinner, _nothing_ could have prepared Yu for what Sho had to say-

"Y'got any sex toys?"

Judging from the blank expression on Rise's face, _she_ hadn't expected that statement, either. Yu glanced between his two lovers a few times before his eyes settled on Sho.

"...Excuse me?" Yu raised an eyebrow, making his confusion clear in his tone. "That's, um... a bit of an _odd_ question..."

"Shit." Sho buried his face in his hands, though that did little to hide his blush. "That... that _was_ a weird question, wasn't it? Uh, sorry... I just- I can't think straight right now, okay? I need a distraction."

That was nothing new, nor was it unprecedented. Yu shook his head, then turned to Rise, curious as to her take on the matter.

"I mean... I have a few back home," Rise said, though she didn't sound as confident as she usually did about this particular subject. "I, um... I don't know if _you'd_ like any of them, though." She looked back at Yu, expectant - as if this was a question he had an answer to.

"...I don't use them," Yu responded, after a brief pause; this prompted a slightly confused look from Rise, and he gave an embarrassed shrug. "I don't... really _need_ them."

She'd been through his things more times than he could count - why was she so _surprised?_

"Huh." Sho lowered his hands from his face, though his blush hadn't receded. "Guess I'll have to go for option two, then. Y'mind?"

The fact that he was so insistent on this was a little strange, but in retrospect, it also didn't come as much of a surprise. While he'd grown older and matured somewhat, Sho still often relied on his hormones for stress relief, and the number of desperate calls he'd made to Yu or Rise during his lengthy absences had increased in the past year - an indicator that something was _wrong,_ and perhaps Yu's message had just been the tipping point for a much _bigger_ decision on Sho's part.

His conversation with Minazuki earlier, from what Yu heard of it, indicated this as well - did Sho intend to put his lifestyle of wandering and constant fighting behind him at last?

"If you're saying you want to sleep with us, then..." Rise gave Yu a gentle nudge - his position beside her was conducive to that. "Do you have any objections, love?"

She'd graduated from using a certain outdated honorific to address him after he finished college, instead preferring various pet names. It was kind of cute, but Yu almost missed Rise calling him _senpai_ \- even if it hadn't made sense for years now.

"Actually..." Yu thought back to the article he'd been working on earlier, and how it had caused him no small amount of stress; on top of his current concerns, he was kind of a wreck, and the thought of _relieving stress_ with Sho was more than a little tempting.

After a brief pause, he said, "I'd love an excuse to be _honest_ for once. I'm tired of having to lie just so I can keep my job."

Sho picked up on the implication immediately, and a broad grin spread across his face; he pulled himself out of his seat, glancing over at the doorway that led to Yu's bedroom - and then he changed his focus to the couch instead, as if the thought of walking a bit further to get somewhere more private was repulsive to him right now.

That was so very _typical_ of him. In at least one regard, he hadn't changed a bit since that fateful visit to Inaba six years ago.

"I said we'd be sleeping together, but..." Rise's tone carried an edge of mischief - she was already getting into it. "I somehow doubt we'll be doing much _sleeping_ tonight. Isn't that right, _showoff?_ "

...That was the first time she'd used a nickname for Sho, and the look on his face indicated that he was just as surprised by it as Yu - but after a moment of staring, the redhead burst into laughter, clearly tickled by what Rise had called him.

"Yeah, I'll show _everything_ to you tonight..." Sho's voice was practically a growl. "Now let's get this _show_ on the road."

His sense of humor hadn't changed at all, either. Despite himself, Yu gave a laugh of his own, and then made his way over to the couch; it wouldn't be the first time he'd had to clean that particular piece of furniture after a less-than-savory exchange, and he was sure that, if all went well, it wouldn't be the last.

In these trying times, it was good to see that Sho's connection to Yu and Rise was as strong as ever - to the point where he wanted nothing more than to be intimate with them _both._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never promised this would be totally clean! (That said, don't expect any explicit sex scenes. They might be a *little* out-of-place in this particular narrative.)
> 
> I don't actually have any vested interest in Persona 5, but given the timeline of this fic, I feel like I'd be remiss not to at least nod to it. Don't expect any further references, though.
> 
> I've also been thinking since the start of the original fic if I would include Dancing All Night in the timeline, but I couldn't figure out if it was compatible with what I ended up writing, so uh... here, have an extremely vague reference that probably wouldn't have meant anything if I hadn't pointed it out.


	4. trapped in a maze of relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some real plot advancement... sorta?

* * *

In hindsight, Sho's decision to work off stress in this fashion was a much better one than it seemed. As Yu waited on his bed for his two lovers to finish cleaning up, he came to the realization that his head was clearer now than it had been since Sho first arrived, and he felt that the timing was _perfect_ for an extended discussion.

Of course, spending time with Sho was _always_ nice, and he seemed to have been put into a good mood from it. Yu was sure that wouldn't last, once he brought up the subject that all three of them had been dreading - but now, more than ever, the former leader of the Investigation Team wanted to know the truth.

Rise was the first to return from the bathroom, and the look she gave Yu indicated that she'd had the same thought as him. She seated herself on the bed, and he moved so that he could embrace her, the lingering traces of their prior activity compelling him - he always favored cuddling after sex, when it was plausible.

...There _had_ been a few times when Yu and Rise had gotten up to a bit of mischief in a dressing booth or a public bathroom, and their location necessitated a quick exit. Those had been _her_ idea, and he wasn't sure what it said about him that he'd _agreed_ to them.

"I'm back." Sho, loud as ever, announced his presence when he returned, a stupid grin plastered across his face. He didn't seem to have the same idea as the other two, and Yu hated the thought of raining on his parade, but-

"Can we talk now?"

To Yu's surprise, Sho didn't seem too perturbed by his suggestion, and seated himself on the bed without complaint. After a short moment of silence, the redhead turned to look at Yu, his expression curious - did he not know what _talking_ meant, in this context?

"Y'mean, about the thing?" Sho's words indicated that he _did_ know, and the fact that his mood hadn't been dampened by the subject was a bit unexpected. "Sure. Let's talk."

"So..." Rise spoke up, perhaps hoping that she could keep Sho calm. "Yu and I... want to get married."

No honorific. It felt a bit strange for Rise to call Yu just by his name, but at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to complain.

"...We've been talking about it for a while now," Yu continued. "We haven't actually made a decision yet, and if we do... she'll have to quit her job."

"Really?" Sho sounded a bit perturbed by this. "You can't go on being an idol if you're married? That's a load of shit." Irritation boiled beneath his skin - he was always obvious about when he was upset.

"I've been considering quitting for a while now, actually..." Rise hung her head, lost in thought. "My career as an idol was limited from the start, and I'd like to inherit Marukyu... to go back to my roots. That way, Yu can..."

They would move to Inaba together - Yu could quit his own job and find something more palatable, and he could spend more time with his family. The problem in all this was, of course, Sho.

"Still..." Sho looked as though he had something on his mind as well. "...You'd really have to quit being Risette... that's like throwing away a part of yourself, isn't it...?"

Yu had a feeling that he knew what Sho was thinking of. When he embarked on his journey six years ago, Sho had already been damaged beyond repair, some of the pieces of his psyche lost forever to the abuse he'd suffered at Ikutsuki's hands; this had to have been why he had such reservations about putting an end to his quest for revenge, as he didn't want to lose any _more_ of himself, and that quest had defined him for a long time now.

"Not really." Rise offered Sho a smile as she looked up at him. "Risette will always be a part of me - that'll never change. She'll just be a part of my _past,_ rather than my _present..._ and the past is just as important."

"The past, huh...?" Sho fell silent for a long moment, the look in his eyes indicating that he was considering those words; when he spoke up again, his tone sounded distant. "... _He_ already made up his mind. He wants to stay with you two..." A short, forced laugh. "...Never thought a guy like him would fall in love like this... turns out, he'd rather _fall in_ with you guys..."

Now wasn't really the time for jokes, but that had never stopped Sho in the past. Yu supposed it was one of his ways of coping with stress, hence his tendency to force a bit of wordplay into an inappropriate situation; it was endearing most of the time, but right now, it seemed like he hadn't _wanted_ to say that, and that just felt _wrong._

"So that's why..." Yu thought back to the earlier conversation between Sho and Minazuki, and how it had sounded as though Minazuki had put the sole burden of choice on Sho. "...You know, you don't have to feel trapped by his decision. He's his own person, and... even if he lives in your body, that doesn't mean you're always going to agree on everything."

"Yeah, but if I bail on you guys..." Sho breathed a sigh. "...He also said I mattered more than him. That means... he'll throw it all away for my sake. After it took him so damn long to realize he _had_ feelings... it'd make me feel like a real scumbag for doing that to him."

"And that was _his_ decision," Yu pointed out. "He's already come to terms with it. It's been six years... that's a _lot_ longer than most relationships last, and you two have both grown a lot in that time. You've both had the chance to experience love, and even if you leave now... that'll always be a part of you, right?"

It didn't feel right to encourage Sho in this fashion, but Yu was more concerned about his lover's future than anything. Sho's mission had defined him just as much as his bonds; he wanted to prevent anyone else from ending up like him - to secure happiness not only for himself, but for those who would follow after him. It was a selfless goal, and far more important than his pursuit of affection, in Yu's eyes.

"...When you put it like that, it just makes it even _harder..._ " Sho gave another forced laugh. "Picking between two parts of myself... I can't have 'em both, I have to throw one of them away... feels almost like when _he_ disappeared..."

Yu had almost forgotten about it, but Sho's words brought back the memory, clear as day - in the two months following the P-1 Climax, Minazuki had been absent from Sho's head, his disappearance mysterious and yet seemingly _meaningful._ Perhaps he was a being that wasn't meant to exist in the first place, born from the depths of Sho's psyche in the wake of a dark truth... but that didn't matter now, as Minazuki had returned during Sho's next visit to Inaba. Shadow or no, his existence was engraved upon the Plume of Dusk implanted in Sho's body, and thus he would persist for as long as Sho lived.

Thinking about that brought Yu to another train of thought - even if Sho abandoned his mission, would his life be cut short by the experiments he'd endured in his childhood? Had Ikutsuki put him on a timer back then...?

"This isn't like that," Rise insisted, her voice pulling Yu back to the present. "Either way, it'll be your choice - even if you have to discard a part of yourself, it'd be on _your_ terms and no one else's. Since Minazuki-kun already left the decision to you..."

Back then, any semblance of choice had been stolen from Sho by Hi-no-Kagutsuchi. It wasn't anything like Minazuki's apparent sacrifice - that much was true, and Yu wanted to enforce that fact, but Sho had _other_ ideas.

"...Tell me," the redhead stated, and something dark crept into his tone as he spoke. "If being Risette _wasn't_ something you had to throw away eventually, would you really be okay with getting married if it meant quitting your job? It's defined you for longer than your relationship, right?"

...A harsh question, but Yu had a feeling he already knew how Rise would answer. She had always been decisive when it came to her own happiness, and even if she'd been Risette long before she met him-

"It wouldn't matter," Rise said, as expected. "...Maybe I'd stick around for a bit longer, but in the end, my decision would be the same. Performing for a crowd, even if it's to make them happy... it gets _exhausting,_ and there's so much work that has to be done, even _before_ I get up on stage. If I kept going like that, it'd just run me ragged, and I wouldn't be able to please anyone, let alone myself."

She was trying to draw a parallel between her current situation and Sho's mission. On the surface, it was absurd - there was simply no connection between being an entertainer and fighting to the death for the sake of the less fortunate. However, if one looked past the superficial differences, there was a very important similarity; what the two of them did was, in the end, a selfless pursuit, with the aim of bringing joy to others.

Sho clearly picked up on the comparison, and he pressed a hand to his forehead. "...My head hurts."

A signal that he didn't want to continue the discussion. That was fair - he still had plenty of time to think things over, and while it _was_ rather abrupt, they could finish this conversation later. It was _late,_ and they were all tired after the events of the day, so resting sounded like a good idea now.

"Let's get dressed and go to sleep," Rise suggested. "It'd be a tight fit, but we might be able to-"

"I'm sleeping on the couch," Sho announced, and he stood up and paced over to the suitcase in which he kept his regular clothes. "You two do whatever you want."

It stung a little, but Yu recognized what Sho was trying to do - if he decided to leave them, he wanted to get some of the pain out of the way _before_ their parting. Rise seemed to have come to the same conclusion; she gave a slow nod, then turned to Yu, as if asking his opinion on this.

"...Let's leave him be," Yu told her, though it was the _last_ thing he wanted to do. "He needs some time to himself."

Among other things, but that was the best thing to bring up at the moment. Rise nodded again, then went to retrieve her own clothes, leaving Yu to his thoughts; he wasn't entirely pleased with how the evening had turned out, but at least they'd gotten some sort of discussion going.

With any luck, their talk would spur Sho into thinking things over a bit more intently.

* * *

Minazuki had not felt this unpleasant emotion in a _long_ time.

Since before Sho arrived at Narukami's apartment, Minazuki had tried to spur him into thinking about his future. It was, after all, the reason for their meeting - Sho needed to decide whether he would join in Narukami and Kujikawa's marriage, or if he would leave them altogether to pursue his own path. Six years ago, if the same decision had been placed upon him, he would have left them without hesitation... but he was a changed man, for better _and_ for worse.

The conversation, held at an odd yet not unreasonable time, had gotten Sho's thoughts moving in a way that Minazuki had failed to. Though he couldn't _see_ his other half's thoughts, he could tell that Sho was _thinking,_ his mind in such strong turmoil that it had an influence on Minazuki's thoughts as well; it was refreshing, and yet Minazuki could not quell the spark of envy that the fact brought about.

Fortunately, Minazuki knew not to allow himself to succumb to that dark emotion this time. It was normal, even expected, for him to feel things like this on occasion; it did not dampen his love for Narukami and Kujikawa, and it did not obstruct his concern for Sho. He instead chose to focus on the issue at hand - that Sho seemed unable to sleep, despite his exhaustion.

 _'Would you care to share your thoughts?'_ Minazuki inquired, catching Sho's attention. _'...Or are you thinking of something which you would prefer not to speak of?'_

"Get your mind outta the gutter," Sho muttered, annoyed, as he shifted into a sitting position from where he'd been laying on the couch. "I'm just thinking about... that chat we had. About what they said."

 _'Then my suspicions were correct.'_ Minazuki had been pondering their conflicting suggestions as well - what those two had said was _not_ conducive to choosing a single path. _'They both raised excellent points. While I would prefer to side with Kujikawa... as I mentioned, and as Narukami mentioned as well, the decision is yours to make.'_

"Yeah, I wanna side with her, too..." Sho breathed a sigh. "...Just, what would _they_ think? And is this... _really_ what I want, or am I just saying that 'cuz I wanna stick with 'em? I don't want a repeat of six years ago."

He referred to the night of the red fog, when he had wished for a world of solitude in the wake of a shattered bond. That night had been a grave mistake on several fronts - Sho had not truly _wanted_ to be alone, and he had regretted his decision once his efforts were thwarted. That incident had continued to haunt him... and Minazuki felt much the same, as he was part of the reason their plan nearly succeeded.

This was different - _very_ different. Though Sho's bonds had been sudden and unexpected, they brought him genuine happiness, and Minazuki could tell in how he reacted when he was around them; the undercurrent of loneliness that had always plagued Sho's psyche disappeared in their presence, and the facade he put up to protect him from the world came crumbling down in an instant when they touched him and spoke with him.

 _'That will **not** happen again,'_ Minazuki stated, insistent. _'Regardless of which path you choose, your decision will be made of your **true** feelings... I have the utmost of confidence in that fact.'_

"If you say so." Sho leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "...I dunno, I still can't make up my mind. It's stupid, isn't it...?" He breathed another sigh. "I came here to talk it over with them, and I'm just getting _more_ confused. I _hate_ not knowing what to do..."

 _'They have always been patient with you.'_ Minazuki recalled the visit to Inaba six years ago, during which he had resurfaced - and witnessed everything that had happened to Sho then. _'There is no reason to believe that will change. Trust them... as you have since then.'_

"Yeah... you're right." Sho stared at the ceiling for a moment longer, and then he repositioned himself, laying down on the couch once again. "I'm worrying too much about stupid shit again. Gotta stop doing that." He stretched and yawned. "...Thanks for the chat."

It was unusual for Sho to thank Minazuki after one of their conversations, but he was quite pleased whenever it did happen. It demonstrated that, despite his griping, Sho appreciated his other half's efforts - he just had a difficult personality, though as a part of him, Minazuki couldn't say that he was any different.

 _'You are always welcome,'_ Minazuki said, and if he were able to, he would have smiled. _'...Remember that when your concerns grow too strong, I am **always** here for you. That is my vow.'_

"Uh-huh." Sho pulled his borrowed blanket over himself, closing his eyes. "Well... I'm gonna try and get some sleep. G'night."

 _'Good night.'_ Minazuki watched and listened, as he always did; when he was in this incorporeal form, he did not feel tired, but when Sho's consciousness faded, his other half's did as well - a mysterious phenomenon, and one that Minazuki could never hope to explain.

Now, it mattered little. Minazuki hoped only that he and Sho would have pleasant dreams tonight; after everything that had happened, they both deserved that much.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deciding on what to have Rise call Yu was an enormous pain in the ass, and that's all I'm going to say on that subject.


	5. blood runs red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having some trouble coming up with plot points for this, but I haven't given up quite yet. (I apologize if things seem to be running in circles - that's mostly Sho's fault!)

* * *

Yu had some trouble sleeping that night, and decided to work on the article he'd been told to edit. It was an odd time to be doing his job, but it turned out to help immensely; with the day's stress eased for the most part, he was able to focus a _lot_ better, and managed to complete it in one sitting.

He didn't know _where_ that sudden energy had come from, but he wasn't going to complain - not when it meant he could focus on more _important_ issues. Of course, the downside was that it was _very_ late by the time he went back to bed, and as a result, he slept in the next morning.

When he went out to the kitchen, Yu came across a most intriguing sight. Rise had already seated herself at the table, and - was that Minazuki cooking breakfast?

"...I see you're awake." The deep tone of his voice confirmed that it was, indeed, Minazuki. "Good morning, Narukami."

"You cook?" The first words out of Yu's mouth were a rather silly question, and he silently reprimanded himself for it - _obviously,_ the answer to that was _yes._ "...Um, sorry..."

"You need not apologize," Minazuki insisted. "...I do, on occasion. _He_ is not so proficient, and our diet would be most lacking indeed if I left all decisions to him."

That sounded about right - Sho had never been good at taking care of himself. To Yu's knowledge, the only time he ate right was when he visited, and it was a wonder that he seemed so healthy despite that fact; this situation indicated that Minazuki's guidance had served him well in that regard.

"I see... well, thank you for this." Yu seated himself at the table beside Rise; he was used to making breakfast for himself, so it was kind of nice to have a break for once. "What's the occasion, though?"

"You were asleep too long." Minazuki sounded amused. "He was growing impatient, and demanded that I take over... you've spoiled him."

There were _worse_ problems for Sho to deal with, Yu supposed. Still, he was curious as to how Rise felt about this; she had grown accustomed to eating at a specific time each morning, and he had made her wait-

"I'm looking forward to it," Rise said, out of the blue - that answered _that_ question. "Make sure it's not too bland, okay?"

"Don't overspice it," Yu interjected, out of pure instinct - though he trusted Minazuki not to do anything _too_ stupid. "...Keep it reasonable, please?"

"Worry not." Minazuki set aside what he had been cooking, and began work on something else. "I had planned to prepare individual meals suited to everyone's tastes... it will take more time, but I trust you're willing to wait."

Yu couldn't resist a laugh at that; it was just like Minazuki to be this meticulous. "Sure, I can wait. What about you, Rise?"

"I'm more curious as to why you slept in so late." Rise glanced over at Yu, raising an eyebrow. "It isn't like you."

"...I had trouble sleeping last night, so I decided to do some work." Yu felt his face heat up a little. "I managed to finish the article, so all I have to do is submit it later." He breathed a sigh. "...My boss will be happy..."

He really wanted nothing more than to get out of this job and into something that didn't force him to _lie_ all the time. Going into journalism was one of the biggest mistakes of his life, and not one he could remedy easily; he only hoped that things would improve as expected when he moved to Inaba, though given what had happened there seven years ago, there was a definite possibility that he'd have just as much trouble there. If all else failed, he could go back to what he'd done as a teenager, working part-time jobs to bring in a little supplementary income... though that wouldn't be fair to Rise, now that he thought about it.

Yu placed his head in his hands, and breathed another sigh. Why did adult life have to be so _complicated?_

"...I will have another talk with him." Minazuki seemed to pick up on Yu's distress, and he glanced back for only a moment - the look on his face indicated clear concern. "He has already put some thought into his decision after last night's discussion, though it may still take some time. I ask that you be patient with him until then."

"It's good that he's thinking about it, at least." Yu's hands fell to his sides, and he nodded once. "If he just needs time to make up his mind, I'll wait as long as he needs." He didn't _want_ to, given the conundrum of his occupation, but he could be patient for a while longer. "...Let him know that I'd like some _compensation,_ though."

It wasn't like him to be demanding, or to ask for things in exchange for his patience - but Sho's suggestion last night had been just what Yu needed to take the edge off his tension. He doubted that his lover would have any objections, either; Sho's twisted idea of stress relief meant that he _never_ turned down a proposition, unless the timing was bad for unrelated reasons.

"How unexpected of you, Narukami..." Minazuki gave a laugh. "I will relay the message when he resurfaces. I'm sure he will be _most_ enthusiastic... though, if you plan to seduce him, I have a request of my _own._ "

"It's only fair..." A slight smirk crossed Yu's face; he felt more relaxed already. "Anything in specific?"

Minazuki set aside his second dish, and turned to face Yu. "Once we finish breakfast, I would ask that we bathe together. I will demonstrate the remainder of my plans _then._ "

It was far from the first time that he'd tried to surprise Yu, and if all went well, it wouldn't be the last. Despite himself, Yu looked forward to it - he didn't know how many more times this would happen, and he wanted to savor these moments while they lasted.

"What about me?" Rise piped up, watching as Minazuki carried the prepared meals to the table. "Can we spend some time together, too?"

"Of course." Minazuki returned to the stove after setting the food down - one plate for Yu, and one for Rise, meaning he hadn't started on his own yet. "Perhaps when Narukami is busy with work?"

"It's better than standing around doing nothing..." Rise's expression shifted; clearly, she referred to what had happened yesterday. "...Is that okay with you, love?"

"Only if you enjoy yourselves," Yu remarked, and he offered Rise a smile. "That shouldn't be hard, right?"

Rise giggled in response, and that sound helped to ease some of the metaphorical weight on Yu's shoulders. This was how things were _supposed_ to be between the four of them - making plans to spend time with each other, rather than worrying about how the future would pan out.

Yu only hoped that Sho made his decision within the week. If he didn't, the former leader of the Investigation Team might finally go insane from the pressure.

* * *

When Sho regained control of his body, the first thing he noticed was that he felt _restless._

That wasn't a surprise, as he'd felt restless ever since he read that fateful message from Yu. The strange part this time was that he couldn't figure out _why_ he felt restless; before, it had been because of the decision placed upon him, which he _still_ hadn't made up his mind on. There was something _else_ as well, and no indicators as to _what,_ and it was about to drive him _crazy_ \- he hadn't even been awake for _ten minutes_ and he already wanted to give up control again, the emotional distress almost too much for him to handle on top of everything else.

It seemed that Yu hadn't finished with his work yet, and Rise was busy chatting with someone through text messages. It would probably be a bad idea to disturb Yu right now, so Sho turned to Rise instead, peeking over at her phone from where Minazuki had - _helpfully_ \- seated him next to her.

"Who's that?" Sho inquired, as he read the name _Kanamin_ on Rise's phone - it wasn't anyone he was familiar with. "A friend of yours?"

"More like... a co-worker." Rise didn't seem bothered by Sho's action; she was, after all, used to his brash nature. "We're friends, but we met on the job, and she... kind of sees me as a rival? She got into the business after I did, and..."

She trailed off, and that just made Sho even _more_ curious. A friend of Rise's who was in the same line of work, and considered her a _rival..._ weird, but _very_ interesting, and now he wanted to know _more_ about this _Kanamin._

"A rival, huh?" Sho grinned. "Never penned you as the type to have one'a those." He paused, leaning closer to Rise. "...She's no match for you, though. She might be a pretty little _rock,_ but there's no way she _rocks_ as hard as you!"

Rise blinked at him, then burst into a fit of giggles. Her laughter was _always_ a beautiful sound; Sho wanted nothing more than to hear that sound every day for the rest of his life, that unfettered joy she always expressed when she was with him and Yu - and yet, there remained a nagging feeling in the back of his mind, a reminder that he had embarked on a dangerous journey he couldn't just _step back from._

Being with her like this made his heart ache. He had half a mind to just walk into the Velvet Room and tell that long-nosed bastard that they were through - but he couldn't do that, not _yet._ Sho had to make up his mind first, on whether he would continue with his mission or stay with the ones he loved, and he hadn't done that just yet... though, Rise made a _very_ compelling argument just by _being there._

Sho was sure that, regardless of his decision, he would love these two for the rest of his life. So, too, would his other half - and that just made it _harder_ to bear the thought of leaving them. He felt as though he was on the cusp of a realization; fighting all the time _hurt,_ and not in a good way, and leaving Yu and Rise behind to fight was just as painful. Sure, there were still remnants of Kouetsu's legacy scattered about, but the Shadow Operatives' leader wasn't too pleased with what her grandfather had done, and she worked tirelessly to root them out-

_'Have you made up your mind at last?'_

Minazuki's voice jarred Sho out of his thoughts, and he pulled back from Rise, annoyed. "Shut it, you. There's no way in _hell_ I could make up my mind with you _bothering_ me all the time."

He almost wanted to bring up the fact that his other half had placed the entire burden of this choice on him, but decided not to - _this time._ Minazuki could get an earful for his own bad decisions _later._

 _'It seemed that you were thinking of it,'_ Minazuki pointed out, and just this once, Sho wished the bastard's awareness of his emotions _hadn't_ improved so much. Maybe he _would_ have been able to make up his mind if it hadn't been for the well-timed interruption, but now he was too frustrated to think straight.

"Yeah, I _was,_ " Sho grumbled, as he leaned back on the couch. "Until a stupid _feather_ distracted me. Next time, if you see me thinkin', _leave me the hell alone._ "

"Is Minazuki-kun giving you trouble?" Rise leaned against Sho, clearly amused by the bickering between him and his other half. "He was in a good mood earlier, so..."

Yeah, there was no telling what Minazuki had gotten up to with Rise while he was in control. The thought made Sho a bit jealous, but he kept that to himself for the time being; there were more important matters to attend to, after all.

"Yeah, he's still pretty thrilled..." Sho breathed an irritated sigh. "I can't say the same, though. I was about to come up with the answer to this damn question, but then he just _had_ to go and rain on my parade..."

"You're as simple-minded as ever, Sho-kun." Rise's words carried no malice, despite sounding like an insult - she was teasing him, as she often did. "...It's okay. We'll be patient with you for as long as you need."

She sent a final message to her colleague, then tucked her phone away and snuggled close to Sho, resting her head on his shoulder. After a moment, he slid an arm around her waist, and returned to thinking about his decision; Minazuki had gone silent, and if all went well, he would _stay_ that way.

Sho reminded himself that this happiness didn't _have_ to be fleeting. He could end his contract at any time, and his mission would be left in capable hands; he had come to trust the Kirijo heir, despite his past conflict with her, and he knew that she had a right to deal with her family's legacy herself. At the same time, after what Ikutsuki had done to him, it felt _wrong_ to just turn his back on the Kirijo Group's evil, and there was still a part of him that _wanted_ to continue fighting.

...Did he just keep telling himself that as an excuse to put off the decision? He'd believed himself to be tired of fighting before he came here, and then he'd had the realization that he was _made_ to fight - it was his purpose from the time he was young, and leaving behind such an integral aspect of himself just didn't feel _right._ He had been crafted as a weapon... by an abusive father, yes, but that didn't change the fact, and _weapons_ weren't meant to sit around and look pretty, contrary to the beliefs of _some_ people.

Sho trusted Yu and Rise not to see him as a _display piece._ They had, after all, kept their relationship with him hidden from the public eye all this time - but would that change if he stayed with them? Marriage was a binding oath, a contract with every bit as much power as the one he had now, and he doubted that a polygamous arrangement in particular would go under the radar. The thought of people outside their friend group knowing about the relationship struck a sour note for him, and-

"...Hey, you two?" All of a sudden, Yu spoke up - it didn't seem like he was done with work yet, so the action seemed rather strange. "Come here for a minute. I want you to see this."

It was hard to tell what Yu felt right now, but something about his tone of voice brought back that feeling of unease Sho had earlier. He shifted away from Rise and stood up, making his way over to the desk Yu sat at; after a moment, Rise joined him, and the two of them looked at the laptop's screen at the same time.

That message - there was no doubt in Sho's mind where it had come from.

_"You hold the child of the moon captive. Free him, or we will do so by force. You have been warned."_

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...a cliche and a cliffhanger! I apologize for this, too.


	6. ignorance is not bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm an absolutely shameless person who inserted a big chunk of personal bias into this chapter. Sorry!
> 
> Also, I made some very slight revisions to the last chapter to accommodate a concept introduced in this one.

* * *

Sho left the apartment that night, and he didn't return until morning.

When Rise asked him what he'd been up to, he just told her that he wanted to find the person responsible for sending that message to Yu. He also said that nothing turned up while he was out, and it felt like he'd wasted the night; to say he was _angry_ would have been a _massive_ understatement, and she made sure to steer clear of him for the rest of the morning, giving him some space.

After breakfast, Sho announced that he was going to get some sleep, since he hadn't gotten any last night. Yu, ever the magnanimous one, offered his bedroom for the purpose, and Sho accepted the offer without complaint; for his part, Yu had decided to take the day off from work so that he could organize his own thoughts, and that meant Rise was left to her own devices - she wanted to talk with the boys more about that creepy message, but they both seemed to be troubled by it too much right now.

 _The child of the moon_ \- that part had clearly referred to Sho. What they meant by _holding him captive_ was a mystery, and not a pleasant one; whoever had sent that message likely had ties to the Kirijo Group, or at least what they had been before Mitsuru took charge. Even when he was here, Sho couldn't escape the darkness of his past, and the knowledge that there were still people after him made Rise ache with worry.

If they took him back, what would they do with him? Would they try to finish what Ikutsuki had started, or... _worse?_

Rise wondered if Naoto was available to talk right now. The "detective prince" had made quite a name for herself since their high school days, renowned as a rare skilled woman in the field - Naoto had chosen not to hide her gender anymore, and found that she earned a surprising amount of respect, despite the fact. There were, of course, still people who mocked her for being a woman, but she no longer allowed that to get to her, and carried on with her work in the hopes of honoring the Shirogane family name.

It couldn't hurt to try. As she sat on the couch in the main room of the apartment, Rise pulled out her phone, and tapped out a short message to Naoto - asking if her friend was busy. The response came quickly, a statement that Naoto wasn't occupied at the moment, and she asked if Rise wanted to call... which she _did._ There was no one in their friend group that was better at this stuff than Naoto.

Rise called the number, and Naoto picked up after only one ring - efficient and reliable as always.

"Hello, Naoto-kun," Rise greeted her, unable to keep the tension out of her voice. "Sorry for the short notice."

"It's no problem," Naoto insisted. "...You sound upset. Is something amiss?"

Rise took a short breath, and let it out in a sigh. "...Yes, something happened last night. Yu got a... _strange_ message on his computer."

"A strange message, you say..." This seemed to pique Naoto's interest. "Do you know who sent it? And what were the contents of the message?"

"The sender was anonymous," Rise replied, and she took a moment to recall the exact phrasing of the message - it wasn't hard. "The message said, _'You hold the child of the moon captive. Free him, or we will do so by force...'_ "

It occurred to Rise then that she hadn't told Naoto about inviting Sho to discuss the subject of marriage. The odds were that Naoto was unaware of Sho's current location - but she was intelligent enough to deduce the message's meaning on her own with ease.

"The child of the moon..." Naoto repeated the phrase, and a moment later, she hummed. "You are still involved with Sho Minazuki, correct? Could that message be referring to him?"

"Yeah... he saw it, too." Rise thought back to her now-sleeping boyfriend, and his immediate decision to try and find the culprit. "He spent the night looking for the one responsible... and found nothing. I haven't seen him this upset since _then..._ "

She referred to the time when they had all met Sho, the night of the P-1 Climax. Though it had been six years since that dreadful night, none of the ones involved had forgotten - least of all Sho himself.

"...He attempted to locate the culprit without any prior knowledge or research." Naoto sounded rather displeased - she had warmed up to Sho in the past six years, but there were times when she still had trouble trusting him. "That was very reckless of him. I suppose he believes the one responsible to be a member of the Kirijo Group?"

"Who else would send a message like that?" Rise pointed out. "They acted like we were holding Sho-kun hostage just by being involved with him... and he's been fighting against them for the past six years." She paused, clearing her throat. "...That is, what the Kirijo Group _used_ to be. I know it isn't like that anymore, but... he said that there are still some dark elements remaining."

"I'm aware of that," Naoto said, though she didn't sound entirely convinced yet. "I've worked with the Shadow Operatives on a handful of cases related to what the Kirijo Group once was." She breathed a sigh. "...He is a fool to attempt fighting against them alone. I believe I've expressed that same sentiment before, and yet he continues..."

Rise thought back to the reason Sho was here, and she considered mentioning her hope that his mission would end soon; however, he hadn't made a decision _yet,_ and the odds were that this incident would reinforce that mission in his mind. Naoto preferred to discuss things that were grounded firmly in reality, and so she wouldn't like to speculate on that particular subject.

"He's doing it for a good cause," Rise insisted instead, standing up for her boyfriend. "He doesn't want anyone else to end up like him. He'd rather shoulder that burden alone than get anyone else involved..."

"And you're not opposed to him risking his life?" Naoto's tone was dark - she knew how dangerous Sho's mission was. "If he continues this, it's likely to get him killed. If you truly care for him as you claim, then you shouldn't allow him to continue endangering himself."

That was exactly what Rise _wanted_ to do, but stopping Sho from doing what _he_ wanted wasn't so simple. He was both incredibly stubborn and incredibly strong, and even Yu struggled to hold him back when he'd set his mind on something.

"...If it were up to me, I wouldn't have let him go six years ago." Rise leaned back in her seat, frustrated; she wanted nothing more than for all of this to _end,_ but this accursed _message_ threw a wrench in the plan. "I... was _hoping_ he'd come to a decision about that, but..."

She'd let that slip without even realizing it - Naoto had no way of knowing what Rise was talking about. She formulated an apology in her head, but as always, Naoto was on top of things-

"A decision, you say?" The detective's voice was laced with intrigue. "Has something turned up to make him question his pursuit?"

"Yes, um..." Rise was glad that Naoto couldn't see the blush on her face; she hadn't _intended_ on telling any of the others about this until things were finalized. "Yu and I... have been talking about getting married. We didn't want to just leave Sho-kun out, so Yu asked him if he wanted in... but that's led to a bit of a mess. Sho-kun can't decide what he wants, and we've been trying to be patient with him, but... it's hard, and especially with _this_ turning up..."

"...I can't say I'm surprised." Naoto didn't sound upset at all, to Rise's relief, though it was hard to tell _how_ she felt. "With how long you've been together, marriage discussion was inevitable... if I were there, I would encourage him to discard his mission and stay with you. It would be a better decision for all three of you... and I would rather _not_ end up having to solve the case of his murder."

"If _those_ people are after him, you might have to do that anyway..." Rise breathed a long sigh. "...What do you think of that message, Naoto-kun? Do you think it's safe to ignore it, or...?"

"Ask Yu-san if he can forward the message to me," Naoto said, her tone even. "I will see if I can trace it to its source. In the meantime, make an effort to keep Sho restrained."

"That shouldn't be difficult..." Rise glanced over at the bedroom door. "He's asleep right now. I don't think he'll be waking up for a while... he was pretty tired when he came back this morning."

"I see..." A hint of an unusual tone crept into Naoto's voice - _mischief._ "I suppose that with him, locking the door may not help... perhaps you could seduce him instead?"

...While the odds were that such a course of action _would_ work, hearing it from _Naoto's_ mouth was nothing short of _surreal._ Rise felt her face flush again, and she was once again grateful that this was a phone conversation.

"N- _Naoto-kun?_ " Rise stuttered out after a moment, almost dropping her phone. "I, um... I mean... knowing _him,_ that might... but _why..._ "

"I am not so naive as to believe your relationship is chaste." Naoto took a short breath. "As I recall, you announced your relationship to us with a crude sex joke... and I know you well enough to assume that you have continued to be intimate with him. I am simply suggesting a course of action that might keep him restrained until we learn who is responsible for the message."

"I... I know, but..." Rise struggled to express her exact feelings on the matter - she was still reeling from the _strangeness_ of Naoto's suggestion. "...Hearing that from _you_ is, um..."

"Ah, I suppose I haven't mentioned that to you." Naoto's tone changed again - she sounded... amused? "My apologies. I've been involved with Kanji for some time now... everyone else is aware, so I assumed that you had heard as well."

With Kanji... how in the world had Rise missed _that!?_

"...Um, congratulations?" Rise wasn't entirely sure how to respond to this news, and it didn't quite explain why Naoto had made the suggestion to seduce Sho. "But... what does _that_ have to do with..."

"This information is for your ears alone," Naoto stated. "...I, too, have discovered the joys of physical intimacy. It is far easier to discuss a subject I'm familiar with."

Not only was Naoto dating Kanji, they'd already slept together, too - this was a _lot_ of information for Rise to process. She made a note to call Kanji at some point and congratulate him, and also to apologize to him for not realizing what was going on.

He must have been on top of the world when he hooked up with Naoto...

"...I see." Rise gave an understanding hum. "Well... I'll certainly try your suggestion. I don't know how receptive he'd be to it right now, but... it's probably the best option I have. And... thank you _so much_ for helping with this."

In truth, no mere _words_ could express her gratitude to her friend. If anyone could figure out who was behind the message, it was Naoto - Rise firmly believed that with all her heart.

"Anything to help a friend," Naoto insisted, modest as ever. "...I have some free time for once, so this should keep me occupied. It's unofficial work, though... I suppose I can't demand monetary compensation."

"I would pay you if you did," Rise said. "...That's how important this is to me."

"I know." Naoto sounded pleased - Rise was sure that she was smiling. "Rest assured, I _will_ find the culprit and bring them to justice... for your sake, as well as Sho's." A short pause. "...Now, if you'll excuse me."

"See you later..." Rise waited until the line went dead before she put her phone away, and then she began thinking about the best way to broach the subject to Yu. He had gone out for a walk before the call, claiming that he needed to clear his head; when he returned, perhaps she could ask him if he was okay with talking.

With Yu, it wasn't just the stress of the decision. He also had a lot of trouble with his job, and wanted desperately to quit it and go somewhere else - which was why this ordeal was so important to him. He'd been acting odd the last few days, but all things considered, that was to be expected.

After all, the stability he'd maintained for the past six years had the chance of being abruptly turned on its head, and _anyone_ would struggle with that - even the unflappable former leader of the Investigation Team.

* * *

When Yu returned to his apartment, he was greeted by a _very_ anxious Rise, standing right in front of the entrance. It wasn't at all surprising that she was like this right now - after what had happened last night...

Yu didn't want to think about it, but he knew that he _had_ to. This was another mystery to solve, and one that was a bit more personal this time; if whoever sent that message was after Sho, they likely wouldn't wait long before making a move. Here in the real world, Yu couldn't fight like he could in the TV world - he lacked the ability to summon a Persona, and while his swordsmanship skills had been maintained via regular duels with Sho, that alone wouldn't be enough to stop their enemy.

If it came down to that, Sho was the only one between them who could fight on even terms. The better option would be to prevent an attack in the first place, though with no leads, Yu didn't have the first clue how to do that.

For the time being, he focused on his girlfriend, who looked as though she had something to say. Also unsurprising, since he'd just _walked out_ earlier-

"I told Naoto-kun about the message. She wants you to forward it to her, if you can."

Rise's words, on the other hand, were unexpected. Yu raised an eyebrow at her as he stepped into the apartment, somewhat impressed that Rise had thought to contact Naoto on this.

"...I'll see what I can do," Yu responded with a nod. "How's Sho?"

"He's still asleep." Rise glanced back at the bedroom door, then turned her attention back to Yu. "Last night must've really worn him out..."

"I wonder how far he went?" Yu considered, for a moment, the possibility that Sho had gone as far as to leave the city in his search - it would have been unreasonable for any normal person, but Sho was not _normal_ by any stretch of the word. "...Either way, we need to stop him from doing that again. It isn't safe-"

"Naoto-kun had a suggestion for that, too." A light blush crossed Rise's face, and she averted her gaze. "She, um... she told me to seduce him."

"...Seduce him?" Both of Yu's eyebrows flew up at that - a suggestion like _that,_ coming from _Naoto_ of all people, was _very_ strange. " _She_ suggested that? Really?"

"I couldn't make it up if I tried," Rise insisted. "...I told her that... I'd give it a try. I don't know how receptive Sho-kun would be to, um, _seduction_ right now..."

"Maybe I could help," Yu offered, intrigued by the idea - it did sound like a good way to keep Sho pacified, if he accepted it. "If we both make the offer, we could reaffirm that we're there for him..."

"And he needs that more than anything right now..." Rise nodded, then glanced over at the workspace located at the far wall of the main room, where Yu kept his laptop most of the time. "Do you want me to keep an eye on him while you send the message to Naoto-kun?"

"Yeah, that sounds good..." Yu thought back to this morning, and how the situation had taken a turn for the worse after Sho's return; he couldn't blame his boyfriend for acting so impulsively, but it wasn't the right thing to do - they needed to think things through before taking action.

"...I hope this doesn't influence his decision too much." Rise's priorities seemed to be elsewhere - also understandable. "With how upset he was, I'm afraid he'll do something that he'll regret later..."

"Unfortunately, it probably will." Yu breathed a sigh, and started making his way over to his workspace. "You know him well enough by now... he isn't the sort to take things sitting down. I doubt it'll be easy to keep him here while we figure this out."

"We might end up having to physically restrain him," Rise observed. "...Even if it's for his own good, I wouldn't want to do that... I know how much he'd hate it."

"I don't think we'd be _able_ to." Yu recalled a particular duel between him and Sho, during which the other had called upon his power - they hadn't been in the TV world at the time, and it was more than a little surprising to see Tsukiyomi summoned in the real world, as Yu hadn't been aware that Sho was even capable of doing that. The duel had ended there, turning instead into a discussion on the power that Sho wielded, and how it differed from Yu's.

"...He can summon a Persona outside of the TV world," Yu continued. "I've heard that it's extremely difficult to do that without external aid, such as the Evokers that the Shadow Operatives use... but Sho can do it because of his Plume of Dusk. Since we can't, he could easily overpower us."

He'd done some research on the subject after that incident, and engaged in a few discussions with Mitsuru regarding how Personas worked. The information he'd learned had been... _enlightening,_ to say the least, and he had developed a newfound appreciation for Sho's capabilities.

"He can do that?" Rise was understandably surprised - she hadn't done the same amount of research, nor had she witnessed the event herself. "...Well, that does make things more difficult. I guess we'll have to rely on Naoto-kun's suggestion... it might be the only thing we can do to keep him calm."

"He's fought to protect us all this time..." Yu pulled out the chair at his desk, and seated himself; then, he looked over his shoulder at Rise. "It's _our_ turn to protect _him._ "

Rise gave a single nod in response. "...Yes, we'll _definitely_ protect him." She didn't sound entirely convinced that doing so would be possible, but right now, attempting to protect Sho was the only viable course of action. "Good luck with the message... I'm going to go check on him."

Yu acknowledged Rise's words with a hum; once she'd disappeared into the bedroom, he opened up his laptop, and his thoughts returned to last night's message. The odds were that Naoto wanted to see if she could trace the message back to its source - and if she could, that would help a _lot_ with this investigation.

Still, if the message's sender turned out to be one of those dark elements of the Kirijo Group, the issue would get more complicated from there. Sho hadn't given up his mission, and he might want to deal with them himself - something that, at this point, Yu was firmly opposed to. Allowing Sho to make his own decisions was all well and good, but the risk of him getting captured was too great, and Yu didn't want to think of the consequences if that happened.

If nothing else, perhaps Minazuki would be willing to listen to reason.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally blanked on the honorific Naoto used for Yu in the game, and eventually decided that it could change over the years, so... here.


	7. the hunt is on

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I have an actual plot going, this fic is becoming a lot easier to write!

* * *

To Yu and Rise's mutual relief, the seduction tactic worked. Sho's sex drive was as high as ever, and he admitted to them both that some stress relief would probably help him a lot right now; they ended up taking turns, with Rise going first and Yu second.

Even after that, though, Sho was still upset. That was no surprise - what they'd done with him served as a temporary distraction, but it didn't take his mind off of the issue in the long term. He was at least relaxed enough to stay in the apartment for the time being, which had been his lovers' goal from the start.

As he rested in his room with Sho, the both of them still naked from their prior exchange, Yu's thoughts turned to Minazuki. All this time, Sho's other half hadn't made his presence known; he hadn't taken over their shared body, and Sho hadn't said anything for him. It was a somewhat ridiculous concern now, but Yu couldn't help worrying that Minazuki had disappeared all over again - despite that being _extremely_ unlikely.

"...Hey, Sho." Yu addressed his boyfriend, who had seated himself on the side of the bed. "What's Minazuki's take on all this?"

"I've never _seen_ him so pissed..." Sho glanced over at Yu, grimacing. "Pretty sure if it weren't for that 'no sudden takeovers' deal he made with me, I wouldn't be here right now. He'd have gone off to do the same thing I did last night... and he wouldn't have come back."

It wasn't surprising that Minazuki was upset. He had appointed himself as Sho's guardian from the start, and a threat to Sho was a personal affront to Minazuki; though he was the calmer of the two, he did experience emotions, and his anger was far more terrifying than Sho's - as was his determination.

At the very least, Sho's words put Yu's absurd anxiety to rest. It was silly of him to continue worrying about Minazuki's existence now - that guy had made it clear on multiple occasions that he wasn't going anywhere, so long as he still had the people he cared for to worry about.

"He wants to protect you..." Yu nodded once, then breathed a sigh. "...I'm sorry, Minazuki. I know this is difficult for you... we're trying to figure out who's behind this right now."

"He isn't mad at _you,_ " Sho pointed out. "You don't need to apologize to him." He looked away again, hanging his head. "...He doesn't want to come out right now because he's afraid he'll lose control, but he wants to know more about... what you're doing, and _I'm_ a little curious, too. Did you start looking into it?"

Yu recalled his conversation with Rise earlier. "Yeah... Rise called Naoto because she wanted to get her opinion on all this, and Naoto said she wanted to see the message. I'm guessing she intended to trace it back to its source, since she asked me to forward it to her... when it comes to things like this, there's no one I trust more than Naoto."

"...Huh." Sho perked up at this, lifting his head a little. "Yeah, he says that's a great idea. Guess that's good enough for him... he really respects her, y'know. I think maybe if we hadn't fallen in with you two, he'd have fallen for _her_ instead..." He paused, and his attention shifted. "...I mean, you _really_ like her. How many times have you asked to take over just so you could talk to her?"

That got a laugh out of Yu; with all the times Minazuki had teased Sho, it was only fair that Sho got a chance to tease his other half as well. Yu couldn't even deny it - he'd seen Minazuki and Naoto together before, and he'd been forced to sit through their hours-long conversations more than once.

"Sorry, but Naoto's taken," Yu reminded them. "...And she _isn't_ open to a poly arrangement, either."

Sho glanced over at Yu once again, and this time, he was grinning - a much better expression. "Okay, yeah, _that_ ticked him off. I'm not gonna repeat what he just said."

"...That bad?" Yu raised an eyebrow; it wasn't like Minazuki to say something that Sho didn't want to repeat, unless it was a flirtatious remark directed at one of their partners. "I'm impressed."

"Yep, _that_ bad," Sho confirmed, and his grin broadened. "He's giving me the silent treatment now. I gotta say, it feels pretty good to turn it around on him."

"Just don't push him _too_ far." Yu thought back to a certain incident six years ago, when Minazuki had some _serious_ issues that needed to be addressed. "...He must be stressed out, too. I can't imagine what this is like for him..."

"Yeah, I know..." Sho's expression softened. "I think he's actually feeling better than he was before. He needs these moments... _we_ need them."

"Especially right now," Yu agreed, and his thoughts once again turned to the message. "...Are you going to be okay?"

"Don't have the first freakin' clue." Sho shifted his position, sliding into the bed beside Yu; he embraced his lover, holding him tight. "...This doesn't make my decision any easier, either. Those bastards _really_ piss me off..."

An understandable sentiment. Yu wasn't the sort of person who got angry at others easily, but even he felt distinct irritation when he thought of whoever sent that message; if he met them in person, he doubted that he would be able to contain his anger, and would possibly do something just as rash as Sho.

That was a purely hypothetical scenario, though. If all went well, Naoto would deal with the culprit herself, and Sho wouldn't have to get involved any further; there was a possibility that things could take a turn for the worse, but Yu chose to remain optimistic, for his sanity's sake - he wouldn't be able to handle it otherwise.

"...Me too, Sho." Yu returned Sho's embrace, and the feel of his rough, scarred skin was more welcome than ever now. "I'm angry at them, too... but we need to maintain a level head. Please... just stay here for now, and let Naoto handle this."

Sho rested his head on Yu's shoulder. "Yeah... I know I can trust her. She does good work." He breathed a heavy sigh. "...I was _so close_ to making up my mind, too... _dammit..._ "

"I'm here for you." Yu ran a hand along Sho's back, soothing him. "...I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere... I love you."

Sho just tightened his hold in response; it was kind of painful, but Yu didn't care right now. His lover needed this - needed _him_ right now, and he'd endure any amount of pain for Sho's sake.

After a short silence, Yu felt the dampness of Sho's tears on his skin, and as he had in the hot springs six years ago, he allowed Sho to cry - as much as he needed to.

* * *

By the time evening came, Sho's mood hadn't improved much. He spent a good amount of time pacing around the apartment, grumbling to himself or chatting with Minazuki - it wasn't hard to tell the difference at this point, and Yu listened in on their conversations as best he could. He lacked the ability to hear Minazuki's words in this state, but what Sho said often gave a clear indicator as to Minazuki's thought processes.

From the sound of it, Sho's other half had almost considered rescinding his decision regarding the marriage arrangement. It was rare for Minazuki to get this angry, though considering the subject matter, it came as no surprise; it wasn't just the threat to Sho, but also to Yu and Rise, who he cared just as deeply for. In a sense, everyone he loved was in danger now, and as a sworn guardian from birth, Minazuki would _not_ stand for that.

It did sting a little that Minazuki had almost changed his mind on the big question, though. Yu didn't want their bond to be broken that easily - Sho and Minazuki were both _far_ too important to him.

After dinner, Yu sat with Sho and Rise on the couch, still lost in thought. Sho had fallen silent, though he seemed as if he was listening to his other half; Rise had gotten into a text conversation with someone, and for her privacy's sake, Yu didn't ask who. She'd been talking to Kanami a lot lately, so maybe it was her.

Yu's thoughts - increasingly gloomy in the wake of everything that had happened - were interrupted by the sound of his cellphone ringing, and he checked the caller ID right away. As expected, it was Naoto, and he only hoped that she had good news; he answered the call, putting the phone on speaker so that Sho and Rise could hear.

"Good evening," Naoto greeted, her tone even. "Are those two with you?"

"Yeah," Yu confirmed, nodding once - even though he knew his friend couldn't see it. "...Sorry to bother you two, by the way."

"Don't worry about it." Rise leaned closer, watching Yu's phone with interest; Sho didn't say anything, but his reaction was similar. They both wanted to hear what Naoto had to say - and Yu was sure that Minazuki did as well.

"I haven't found any leads yet," Naoto stated. "Whoever sent this message did an excellent job of covering their tracks... were it not for the situation, I would be impressed. I've forwarded the information to Mitsuru-san..."

"The Kirijo, eh...?" Sho didn't sound as upset as he usually did when he mentioned that name. "You're gonna bring her into this, too?"

"It _is_ her responsibility," Naoto pointed out. "If this individual is one of the 'dark elements' of the Kirijo Group, then she deserves to know about this occurrence. In addition, the technical skills of her organization would be a valuable asset in our search."

"...Are you upset about that, Sho-kun?" Rise inquired, turning her attention to him. "I know how you feel about..."

"It's fine." Sho gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "She's not like the rest of 'em. We actually... came to an agreement about a year ago."

That part seemed to be more for Naoto than Yu or Rise; Yu was already aware of that fact, and he had reason to believe that Rise knew as well. Naoto, on the other hand-

"An agreement?" The young detective sounded intrigued by this information. "...She did mention that you two have crossed paths several times since then, and that she's bent the rules to ensure your safety..."

The thought of Mitsuru, of all people, bending the rules was downright absurd, and yet it somehow didn't seem that strange in this context. She was a good person, and had shown sympathy for Sho even then - it was difficult to see beneath her icy exterior, but her concern for him had been clear enough to Yu.

"Speaking of which..." Yu glanced at Sho. "You're aware of Sho's extensive criminal record, right? Legally speaking, you shouldn't be helping him... but you _are._ "

"Legally speaking, I should not be assisting him... this is correct." A hint of amusement crept into Naoto's tone as she spoke. "However, I believe that considering the nature of his crimes, I'm able to personally overlook them. Everything he has done has been for the greater good... and those he targets are far worse criminals than him."

Sho visibly relaxed at that; he'd always gotten tense around Naoto for that reason, and while Minazuki didn't care as much, the issue had still been a bit of an obstacle in the relationship between Naoto and Sho. It was good to see them finally clearing up their issues with each other, after all this time-

"So, you're going to ask the Shadow Operatives for help with this." Rise directed the conversation back to the main topic, her intrigue clear. "Even if the person responsible isn't one of those 'dark elements'... they're after Sho-kun, and they clearly know about his history. Wouldn't someone like that be a target for the Shadow Operatives, regardless of their affiliation?"

"...You raise an excellent point." Naoto sounded pleased with her friend's deductive skills. "I had considered that possibility as well... anyone after him would surely be aware of his history with the Kirijo Group, at the very least. Even if this is a rogue individual with no ties to them... they could still be dangerous enough to warrant an investigation by the Shadow Operatives."

Anyone who wanted Sho for any reason was potentially dangerous, yes. Yu agreed with this reasoning - he gave an acknowledging hum, then inclined his head to the side, curious as to Sho's take on all this.

"Doesn't matter who they are," Sho said, and a scowl appeared on his face. "If I get my hands on them, I'm gonna kill 'em _slow._ "

"That would obstruct the investigation," Naoto reminded him. "If it is at all possible, I would like to avoid that scenario. Please make an effort to control yourself."

Self-control was not Sho's forte by any means, but he had put _some_ effort into it, at the very least - impressive, considering the situation. He had overcome some of the seething rage he'd shown last night, but he was still angry, and Yu didn't expect him to calm down completely until this was resolved.

"...Yeah, yeah." Sho muttered something indecipherable under his breath. "I'll stay out of your way for now, but if this goes on too long, I can't make any promises. _He's_ even more pissed off than I am... he might just decide to take over and do the job himself."

"Your other half is...?" This seemed to surprise Naoto a little; with how much she respected Minazuki, the odds were that she hadn't expected him to be impulsive. "...Well, I suppose he _does_ serve as your guardian. If one were to threaten your life, he would..."

"It isn't just Sho." Yu recalled a handful of the many intimate exchanges he'd had with Minazuki - at this point, there were too many to count. "He wants to protect _us,_ too. You could say that this message threatened everyone he loves... and it's in his nature to protect those he cares about."

"Ah... right." Naoto made a displeased noise - likely admonishing herself for forgetting such an important detail. "...My apologies. I suppose I'm more shaken by this than I believed myself to be..."

"We're _all_ pretty shaken by this." As she spoke, Rise shifted ever closer to Yu, seeking his comfort; he slid an arm around her in response, leaning his head against hers, and she breathed a quiet sigh, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, seriously..." Sho looked Yu and Rise over, then shifted away, giving them some space. "Did you tell her about, um... the decision?"

"...Yes, I did," Rise admitted, sounding ashamed of herself. "I also told her that you were having trouble making up your mind..."

"An issue that I'm sure has been impacted by this incident." Naoto added her own two cents to the exchange. "...I know that you aren't exactly inclined to listen to me, Sho. However, I advise that you abandon your mission... it's too dangerous, and if you were to die, I would likely be charged with investigating the circumstances surrounding your death. I... would prefer not to do that."

"... _He_ doesn't like the sound of that, either," Sho told her. "But when it comes down to it, it's _my_ decision, and I'll do what _I_ want to."

"How very childish..." Naoto spoke these words in a tone so soft, it was almost inaudible over the phone; she raised her voice after that, catching Yu's attention. "...If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. I will send you any updates on the situation as they come."

"Thank you, Naoto," Yu said. "Talk to you later." He waited until she hung up, then put his phone away, and breathed a heavy sigh. No dice - that was to be expected, but it still wasn't the news he wanted to hear. At the very least, if Mitsuru aided in the investigation...

"You want me to leave you two be?" Sho offered, though considering his mental state, being alone would probably be hazardous to him right now. "...I don't wanna bother you-"

"Come here." Yu reached out his free hand to Sho. "...I don't want to let go of you."

Sho complied with the request right away, taking up a similar position to Rise on Yu's other side. When he had his lovers with him, the Investigation Team's former leader was able to cast away some of his fears - but fully calming himself would be an impossible task until they found out who had sent that message, and dealt with them appropriately.

Yu couldn't see the future, yet he was sure that if he could, he wouldn't be nearly as much of a wreck. For better or worse, he just wanted to _know_ \- there was _nothing_ he hated more than being kept in the dark.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite any jokes made here, I'm not going to actually ship Minazuki and Naoto.


	8. the trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, I don't have anyone to beta read this, so I apologize for any inconsistencies or mistakes. (I'm bound to miss a few, even with how much I proofread my own work.)

* * *

By the time morning came, Sho thought that he was going to lose his mind.

All his efforts to sleep had failed, and he spent much of his time fidgeting or pacing inside the apartment. Minazuki was silent, making his presence known and nothing else - that didn't come as a surprise, since he was _beyond_ livid. Sho wanted to just give up and let him take over so that he could do whatever he wanted, but that would lead to a whole host of _other_ problems, and the odds were that Minazuki recognized that fact.

When Yu left his bedroom and came out to the apartment's main area, Sho thought he would pass out from relief. His lover looked bedraggled, as if he hadn't slept well himself; it was reassuring to know that Sho wasn't alone in the sleeplessness department.

"...You're awake?" When Yu spoke, his voice carried an edge of surprise - why was he _surprised?_ "Did you stay up all night?"

"I didn't leave the apartment," was Sho's immediate response, knowing that Yu was concerned about that. "...But yeah, I couldn't sleep."

"I see..." Yu made his way over to Sho, and pulled him into a sudden, tight hug. "...I'm sorry. Just... let me hold you for a moment."

Sho didn't understand what was going on, but he wasn't going to complain about a hug; he returned the gesture, closing his eyes as the other's warmth permeated his body. To be with someone he loved like this - it felt _right,_ and his nerves began to settle already from just that simple gesture.

 _The decision_ had crossed his mind a few times during the night, and Sho felt as if he was one step closer to making up his mind. At first, that message had made him consider giving up his happiness and pursuing his enemies until every last one of them was dead; however, seeing Minazuki's reaction made him realize something important that he hadn't thought of before.

Those rotten Kirijo bastards were not above targeting Yu and Rise for the sake of dealing with Sho. If he was away when they attacked, he couldn't do anything to protect the people he loved - but if he stayed with them, he would at least be able to go down fighting for their sake. Maybe keeping them safe from harm was out of the question, but being able to _do something_ was better than the alternative.

"...Hey, can I tell you something?" Just to be careful, Sho decided to ask first, in case Yu wasn't in the mood to talk. "It's important..."

"Go ahead." Yu loosened his grip a little, though he didn't let go. "...If you have something to say, I want to hear it. Especially if it's important."

"Well... I think I've made up my mind," Sho told him, after a brief pause. "...I'm thinking of waiting until all this blows over before I tell you two, but... you don't have to worry about _that_ part anymore."

"You've made up your mind?" That hint of surprise from before returned to Yu's voice. "Really?"

"Yeah... thanks to _him._ " Sho pulled back, placing his hands on Yu's shoulders. "He _really_ got my gears movin', y'know? That whole thing about how he almost changed his mind... made me realize something."

Yu met Sho's gaze, curious. "And what's that?"

"Not telling." Sho gave his partner a mischievous smirk; then, his tone became serious. "...We've gotta focus on this case first. Keep all our heads on _straight,_ and charge _straight_ through to the end. Shouldn't be _too_ hard, right?"

"...Are you _really_ Sho?" Yu tilted his head. "You're acting very strange. I don't think I've ever _seen_ you being this level-headed."

"Yeah, well, I guess I got all the _insanity_ out overnight." Sho had thought of going out to swing his swords around a few times, but the fact of him being in the midst of a crowded city with no private places to do that had deterred him. "Besides, seeing you always helps. Back to being _straight..._ I'd say you set me that way, but there's nothing _straight_ about my feelings for you!"

...That was probably his worst joke yet, and he wanted to reprimand himself for making it. That thought disappeared in an instant when he noticed that Yu was laughing - quietly, in his usual fashion, but he'd found some humor in that terrible joke, and that made it _worth it._

"I'm glad you're feeling better." Yu leaned in to embrace Sho again, not quite as tightly this time. "...I wish I could say the same, but... thanks."

"Anything I can do to help?" Sho offered, a bit concerned; it wasn't like his boyfriend to be so unnerved. "...And how's Rise?"

"Still asleep," Yu answered him, and then he paused, taking a short breath. "...Maybe not so much you, but Minazuki could help... if he's up to it. I'd like a break from making breakfast."

Well, _that_ was a bit of an issue. Minazuki was still _royally_ pissed off, and he had said multiple times that he wasn't going to take over for fear of losing himself - a very real possibility, with the mood he'd been in since seeing that message. It was worth a try, Sho supposed, but he doubted that anything positive would come from this request.

"What'll it be?" Sho asked Minazuki, knowing that he had heard the whole conversation. "Think you can take over for just a bit?"

 _'...First, let me express something.'_ Minazuki sounded different - not as _angry,_ and that was a relief. _'I'm impressed... and grateful that you've made your decision. I will not ask after your answer, as I'm sure there is a chance it will still change... as for Narukami's request, well.'_ A pause, a shift in his presence. _'You should brace yourself.'_

Sho gave a laugh. "Guess that's a _yes._ " He supported himself against Yu, knowing now that his body went haywire when Minazuki took over. "And Yu... you're welcome."

He didn't hear the response, if there was any - his consciousness faded as his other half assumed control, and for some reason beyond explanation, that feeling was no longer so _unsettling._

* * *

Rise had started to get a little fed up with her colleague's constant demands for attention. Just because she'd needed a distraction _once,_ Kanami thought her break from work meant that she was available _all the time_ \- and being woken up by a notification sound from her cellphone was just about the last straw for Rise. She rolled over, picked up her phone, and glanced at the message, just to confirm that it was, indeed, her annoying junior.

To her infinite frustration, it _was._ Rise tried to be polite in her response, telling Kanami that they could talk _later;_ she set her phone aside after that, preparing to march out into the apartment's main room.

It only occurred to Rise after she was out the bedroom door that Kanami had asked after her relationship status. Everyone knew that Rise was dating Yu - _that_ wasn't a secret, but Sho _was,_ and she didn't know if she could trust Kanami enough to reveal that secret to her.

Right now, it didn't matter much. Rise was disgruntled and still a little tired, and the only thing that interested her was the delicious scent wafting from the kitchen. As she approached, she saw Yu seated at the table, already enjoying his own breakfast - and was that Minazuki cooking again?

Before they went to bed last night, Sho had told Rise that Minazuki didn't want to come out after seeing the message. He was too angry, and feared losing his temper if he emerged... but Sho wasn't the one who cooked between them, so this _had_ to be Minazuki. Hopefully this meant that something had changed overnight.

"Good morning, Kujikawa." Sure enough, the deep voice that came from the redhead's mouth was Minazuki's. "I would ask if you slept well, but that seems a rather... _difficult_ subject at the moment."

"A certain _someone_ woke me up," Rise muttered, as she walked over to the table and seated herself. "She can't take a hint... I should just tell her I have more important things to worry about right now."

"Your colleague is troubling you?" Minazuki glanced back, intrigued. "...I agree that you should be forthright with her. However, be careful... she seems the sort to demand further details."

Rise was somewhat impressed by Minazuki's observational skills; she never took him for the sort who could figure out people at a glance. Then again, he was much more socially adept than his other half, so it made sense - from what she understood, Minazuki was the one who did most of the talking when they were around unfamiliar people.

"Yeah, that's the problem..." Rise breathed a sigh. "If I told her I was up to something, she wouldn't give up until she found out what it was... and I can't exactly share the details with her on this. I don't trust her enough to keep everything under wraps."

"A troubling conundrum indeed..." Minazuki returned his attention to his work; when he spoke up again, he addressed Yu. "Have you received any further information from Shirogane?"

"No, I haven't," Yu answered him. "The only messages I've gotten are from Yosuke... I told him what was going on, and he hasn't stopped worrying about me since. He said he wants to come over and make sure everything's alright, but... I don't know how Sho would react to that."

"I would advise against allowing him to visit," Minazuki stated, and there was a sharp edge to his tone - it seemed Sho wasn't the only one who would have a problem with that. "...Until this situation is resolved, it would be best to keep the number of people involved to a minimum. If others were to become involved, they would be threatened as well."

A reasonable observation, but Rise could tell that Minazuki was hiding his true feelings on the matter; right now, he was far too stressed out to be _reasonable,_ and she had a couple of ideas for bringing him back down to earth. She stood up - much to Yu's surprise - and walked over to Minazuki, sliding her arms around him from behind.

"May I _help_ you?" Rise offered, her voice low. "... _After_ breakfast, of course..."

Minazuki did not respond for a long moment; then, he set aside the meal he'd been preparing, and turned to face Rise - the look in his eyes was _dangerous._ "...You tempt me _now,_ and then make that claim...?"

Oh yes, he was _definitely_ interested. It seemed as though the seduction tactic wasn't just effective on Sho - but there were _other_ things to worry about at the moment. Rise let go of Minazuki, and offered him a sly smile before she returned to her seat at the table, watching him the whole time.

" _After_ breakfast," Yu reminded Minazuki, looking more amused than he should have. "I'll join in, too."

Minazuki scowled in response, then started working on the third meal - one for each of them, just like last time. Rise glanced over at Yu, noting that he seemed rather pleased with himself; he had already finished eating, but that just meant he could put his mouth to _better_ use-

"You two are so very _incorrigible,_ " Minazuki murmured, just loud enough to hear. "...Thank you."

"I think he likes the idea," Yu observed, smiling back at Rise. "Maybe it'll help him calm down a bit."

"Hopefully..." Rise thought back to the conversation they'd had with Naoto yesterday, and a rather silly concern rose in her mind. Their friend could call at any time with further details on the situation - and even though she knew about the bond Yu and Rise had with Sho and Minazuki, Naoto interrupting them in the middle of sex would still be embarrassing.

Well, there was no telling if that would actually _happen,_ so Rise decided not to let that concern get to her. Right now, she just wanted to make sure that Minazuki didn't lose himself to his anger - and it seemed the best way to do that was through the same means she'd used to keep Sho calm.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd also like to apologize for all the offscreen boning that happens in this fic. Normally, it isn't something I would apologize for, but this fic is supposed to be a *little* more serious... oops.
> 
> Turns out, I'm still bad at writing drama...


	9. truth unveiled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After some brainstorming, I had the thought to actually bring the big bad into the story. Expect some cliches from here on out, and a lot of cursing courtesy of our favorite disaster child.

* * *

By the time Naoto called again, Minazuki had ceded control back to Sho, and he had fallen asleep in Rise's arms - she had opted to soothe him to sleep after what had happened last night, knowing that his ever-present anxiety disrupted him.

Yu was at his desk, looking over an article that one of his co-workers had sent him to critique, when he heard his phone ringing; he checked the number, and decided that the article could _wait._ Whatever Naoto had to say, it was undoubtedly more important than his work.

"Hello," Yu greeted his friend, after picking up the phone. "Do you have any updates?"

"Good afternoon." Naoto hummed in response. "Yes, I have an update. Are those two with you?"

Yu glanced back at his bedroom door. "No, not right now. Sho is asleep, and Rise is with him..."

"I see..." Naoto sounded disappointed. "I suppose you'll have to relay the information to them later." She paused, taking a short breath - just audible over the phone. "Unfortunately, due to the fact that we only have the message to go off of, we have not yet discerned the culprit's location. However, Mitsuru-san believes she has a lead... and as you suspected, it's one of the 'dark elements' of the Kirijo Group."

"I see..." Yu made a sound of comprehension. "Shouldn't that make it easier?"

"Not necessarily," Naoto replied. "These 'dark elements' are experts at keeping themselves hidden. Tracking them down often takes some time..." Her tone shifted. "...I do wonder how Sho locates them. Perhaps if he were to lend his expertise..."

"Are you suggesting collaboration?" The thought rather amused Yu - law enforcement professionals working together with a criminal to catch a culprit that was after him. "I'd ask him, but... I can't exactly do that right now. Sorry."

"I understand." Naoto sounded a bit amused herself. "If you want, you can call me when he wakes up... or you can tell him to call me himself."

"He has your number?" Yu raised an eyebrow, an unconscious response to surprise; in truth, it wasn't _that_ far a stretch, considering the friendship between Naoto and Minazuki - but the fact still caught Yu off-guard, as he hadn't expected such a _direct_ suggestion.

"Yes, his other half exchanged numbers with me," Naoto responded - as predicted. "I doubt that Sho himself would agree to such an arrangement." There was a trace of something unreadable in her tone; perhaps she was displeased by the lack of trust between her and Sho, given her bond with his other self.

"...Would you be available for a call later?" Yu raised his primary concern about Naoto's idea; she was, after all, a _very_ busy woman. "I can't estimate when Sho will be available again. He didn't sleep last night."

"Again..." Naoto sounded concerned this time - unsurprising, given the situation. "If it pertains to this case, I'll make room." She cleared her throat. "...When he wakes up, please inform him that I sympathize with him. This... must be _very_ difficult for him."

Yu gave an acknowledging hum. "It is... it's been a long time since I've seen him this upset." Truth be told, the last time was during the night of the red fog - back when they were still enemies. "I'm surprised he's handling it as well as he is."

"He isn't alone now," Naoto pointed out. "He has friends... and _lovers,_ who support him. Were it not for his bonds, we might have seen a repeat of _then._ "

That was true. During that night, Sho had believed himself to be completely alone in the world; he'd endured the loss of his father, and couldn't make connections with anyone else due to his stunted upbringing. Thanks to Yu's efforts, that had changed - he had learned how to form bonds without fighting, and the friendships he'd forged with the members of the former Investigation Team served as solid proof of that fact.

...Well, Sho didn't consider Yosuke a _friend,_ but they had their own special bond of rivalry. It was still somewhat difficult to deal with those two when they interacted with each other.

"Yeah..." Yu turned his attention back to his laptop, absently wondering just how important this article he'd been sent to critique was. "...I won't let him go down that path again. Regardless of his decision, I'll make sure he knows that he isn't alone anymore... and never will be, for as long as he lives."

Even if the bond between them changed, there was no reason to _break_ it - after all, Yu had been Sho's tutor in many important fields, and perhaps the scarred wanderer could continue to learn from him. Considering how intimate they'd been with each other, it would be _difficult..._ but if Yu wasn't up to a challenge, he wouldn't have maintained his relationship with Sho for this long.

"I know... you'll never give up on him." Naoto's confidence in her friend was clear - she trusted Yu when it came to this. "...And neither will I. I swear to you that I will find whoever is responsible for this and bring them to justice." Her tone shifted. "...If you'll excuse me. I'd like to get back to work."

"Yeah, same here." Yu didn't actually _want_ to get back to work - it was more like he _had_ to. "I'll talk to you later, then..."

"Goodbye for now." With those last words, Naoto hung up, leaving Yu to his thoughts. With as little focus as he had right now, working was going to be nearly impossible - but, as always, he had a deadline. If he didn't at least _try_ to put some effort into work, he would lose his job, and as much as he hated said job, now was an _incredibly_ bad time to get fired.

He didn't know if moving in with Rise was an option, and joining Sho on his adventures was out of the question. Until the issue of their continued relationship was dealt with, Yu had no choice but to live here - or to move in with the Dojimas as he had seven years ago, but he didn't want to place that burden upon them.

After all, they had their own lives; even if Yu wanted to move to Inaba permanently, he much preferred the idea of having his own house, as opposed to disrupting the peace of his family.

* * *

Being with his lovers was nice and all, but with the restrictions placed upon him by recent events, Sho felt kind of trapped inside Yu's apartment. That night, he made up his mind - he was going to go out for a stroll.

Of course, this was met with initial opposition from Yu and Rise. They both had the same scenario in their mind, of him going out to find the person responsible for the message; Sho had to assure them that he would do no such thing, that he just wanted to get out and get some fresh city air. He promised to be back before morning, and that was enough to pacify them for the time being.

Really, Sho had no intention of going out and hunting down the culprit. After the chat with Shirogane earlier, he'd placed his absolute faith in her ability to track down the asshole - and so had Minazuki, though _that_ was to be expected. The details of their methods for finding their targets proved difficult to articulate, and Sho wasn't sure if the message got across to Shirogane... or if she would even be able to utilize any of the techniques he told her about.

After all, a good chunk of the time, he ended up stumbling across a hideout after a fight with a robot. It turned out that those bastards wanted Sho just as much as he wanted them, though tearing up the places proved a lot easier once the bots were out of the way.

As he strolled along the vast streets of the city, ignoring the suspicious glances of passersby, Sho happened to notice that there was an alleyway nearby. Nothing special, although if fiction was to be believed, dark alleyways were where all sorts of nasty encounters occurred; out of sight and out of mind, troublemakers like himself could sneak up on their unsuspecting victims and drag them into seclusion, and maybe if the victims were lucky, they'd be able to scream for help-

If it weren't for Sho's combat training, he wouldn't have noticed the hostile presence, mere seconds before a knife whizzed past the side of his head. He reached up a hand, and noticed that the thrown blade had nicked some of his hair - unfortunate, as he'd gotten to like this style. He'd have to trim it even later, but for now, dealing with whoever had targeted him was more important.

It was a good thing his preferred clothing offered an avenue for concealing his swords - he wouldn't have been able to get here in the first place otherwise.

"...Pretty bold of you." Guessing that his assailant was in the dark alley - just like all the damn cliches - Sho stepped into the space between buildings, and relied on his usual tactic of taunting to draw them out. "You ever think that maybe you'd miss me and hit some innocent bystander, and then you'd be in _deep_ shit with the police? Why don't you let me put you _six feet under_ for 'em?"

"Ah, there you are." The voice was deep and feminine, and it belonged to a person wearing a heavy cloak - _another_ stupid cliche. How many did this chick have up her sleeve?

"I merely wished to catch your attention," the figure continued, undaunted, as Sho drew his swords. "...Though, I had hoped that negotiation would suffice. I'd heard that you were quite the _violent_ young man... so I can't say I'm surprised."

"Are you with the Kirijos?" Sho demanded, hoping that he'd be able to get at least a _few_ answers before he had to cut the bitch down. "If you were the one who sent that message... I don't know if I'll be able to hold myself back. Y'see, _he's_ even more pissed than I am... I think he'd like a front-row seat to _that_ show."

"Violent indeed..." The person laughed. "I suppose there's no need to hide. Yes, I have affiliated myself with the ones your father once called allies... and yes, I delivered that message to your captor. I know not how he came to imprison you, but you are the sort of person who should be... _let free,_ no?"

" _Bullshit._ " Sho took a few steps closer to the person, swords at the ready. "I'm no _captive_ to those two. I made the decision to stay with 'em, and if you've got a problem with that, I'd be more than happy to beat some sense into you." He paused, taking a quick breath. "Besides, _you're_ one to talk. You're just gonna turn me into a damn _lab rat_ once you get me back, aren't you? My shit-for-brains dad's dead, and I'm _sick_ of being a _test subject._ "

"You only blind yourself to the truth." The person threw aside her cloak, revealing her full, feminine figure - she _would_ be beautiful, if she wasn't such a colossal bitch. Long black hair, eyes that seemed to stare into one's soul... she kind of looked like Amagi, if a bit bigger in the chest area, and nowhere near as cute.

"My name isn't important to you," the woman stated without pause. "But if you wish to call me something... call me _Amaterasu._ I may be no goddess, but we are _kin._ "

Kin - did that mean she was another test subject of the Kirijo Group? Sho didn't have the mental capacity to think about that at length right now, as he was more concerned with _cutting_ the bitch. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then charged forward, aiming to strike with both swords-

"Amaterasu" neatly stepped to the side, evading the attack with minimal effort, and as if to add insult to injury, she _laughed_ at him. Sho glared at her, and readied another strike - but something about her demeanor had shifted, and she didn't seem quite so interested in fighting him anymore.

"For future reference," she told him, her words slow and deliberate, " _I_ do not work alone. There are others who have a... vested interest in your return, shall we say. _They_ are not so kind - they would prefer to eliminate any _obstacles_ first."

It took a moment, but realization dawned on Sho, and all of a sudden, he felt sick to his stomach. While he'd been out getting some fresh air, this "Amaterasu" had coordinated an attack - and the odds were that the _others_ she spoke of were back at the apartment, putting Yu and Rise into a hostage situation.

Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit._ He'd acted impulsively at the worst time possible, and now the people he loved were in danger. Screw this bitch - he had to get back to the apartment ASAP, before something happened to those two.

"...I'm going to kill you, _Amaterasu._ " Sho practically spat the name she'd given him, disregarding the fact that fleeing the scene had left him wide open to retaliation. "I'm gonna rip out your guts and strangle you with 'em... and I'm gonna _enjoy_ it..."

He was grateful that she didn't seem interested in pursuing him - no more knives flew, at the very least, meaning he was free to run back to the apartment as fast as his legs could carry him. Minazuki's voice echoed in his mind, but Sho couldn't hear the words, too laser-focused on getting to his destination so that he could prevent the worst-case scenario.

This was the _last straw._ Those sons of bitches had made a _huge_ mistake by threatening Yu and Rise, and Sho planned to make sure they _regretted_ that mistake - as slowly and _painfully_ as possible.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not usually a fan of utilizing OCs, which is why I had some trouble making this decision, but here we are.
> 
> No, Amaterasu has no relation to the Amagis. Sho was just making that comparison for visual reference.


	10. in the name of love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all one segment, because it ended up being VERY long. Also warning for some somewhat unsavory tropes, and the violence does pick up a little here.
> 
> I also took a *lot* of creative liberties with a certain thing...

* * *

When Sho left the apartment earlier, he hadn't expected to encounter any real resistance, and so he only brought along his swords - a means to defend himself, in case he got mugged or something. As a result, he didn't have any knives on him... not that they would've helped against that Amaterasu bitch.

Along the way, he considered returning to the scene of the incident and seeing if he couldn't find the knife she'd thrown at him. He decided that getting back to Yu and Rise was more important right now, and focused all of his energy on that.

"C'mon, c'mon, _c'mon!_ Go _faster!!!_ "

Sho yelled at the elevator as it carried him up, knowing on a logical level that it wouldn't listen to his demands, but he was far past caring. He was only thankful that Yu's apartment wasn't that high up, and so he just had to wait for a few floors - but that was still _too much,_ in his opinion.

...Maybe he should've taken the stairs instead. The only advantage to using the elevator was that he'd have more energy by the time he arrived, and that seemed less important to him than _getting there_ \- another mistake which could cost those two their lives. He hoped that Amaterasu's flunkies wouldn't be stupid enough to kill them - that'd be like throwing a lit match in a swimming pool full of gasoline - but there was no telling at this point, and Sho didn't want to take _any_ chances.

The spare key to the apartment that Yu had entrusted to him was in his shirt pocket, and Sho wasted no time in pulling the object out as soon as he got to the door. Said door was closed, and he tried opening it without using the key first - no dice. Those guys had been _thorough_ in obstructing him.

Still, they hadn't reprogrammed the lock or anything, so Sho was able to get inside with ease once he used the key. The sight inside wasn't a pretty one - a pair of thuggish-looking folks, one man and one woman, had restrained Yu and Rise with a hefty amount of rope. If those two had the ability to call upon their Personas in "reality", they wouldn't have ended up like this... or even maybe if Yu had his sword, but of course he wasn't allowed to have _that_ in the apartment building, and Sho had only managed to get his own weapons in through concealing them.

The man and woman both turned to face Sho at the same time. They even had nametags, informing him of what their names - or _codenames_ \- were; the man was Ryoji, and the woman was Junko. Odd, and uncomfortably _familiar_ for some reason.

"Look, he's here." Junko tilted her head to the side, scanning Sho with her eyes. "...Man, Risette's got _awful_ taste. Even if I was into guys, I wouldn't date _him._ "

"Yeah, he isn't cute at all," Ryoji agreed, and he gave a derisive laugh. "He doesn't even cut his hair evenly!"

Sho raised his hand to the side of his head, almost absently; Ryoji's remark had reminded him of what he had lost in the encounter with Amaterasu. "Eh, it's been a while since I got a real haircut. Your _boss_ just helped me out a little."

Yeah, these two didn't look that tough. Even with Yu and Rise all tied up like this, dealing with them wouldn't be a problem-

"Oh yeah, that's right." Ryoji pulled a gun out of a pouch hidden in the coat he wore - no, that _wasn't_ a gun, it was... "Ikutsuki's research paid off after all, huh? Keep your guard up when you're dealing with this one."

Junko nodded to him, and then Sho tapped into the inhuman strength bestowed upon him by his Plume of Dusk. He didn't often do that - only in dire situations, but this _more_ than counted as a _dire situation._ How that bastard had gotten his hands on an Evoker was anyone's guess, but if he had one, that meant he was a Persona user... who couldn't summon it here without the thing's aid.

A swing of his sword, and Sho knocked the device out of Ryoji's hand; if he'd turned his sword just right, he could've cut the guy's hand off, but then he would've had to clean up the mess afterward. If it was at all possible, Sho didn't want to spill blood in Yu's apartment - of course, if these two got _too_ rowdy, he'd do it anyway, but that was an _absolute_ last resort.

...Amazing how he was thinking of holding back, even in this situation. Sho had changed a _lot_ from the days when he wouldn't have thought twice about eviscerating someone he didn't like on the spot.

" _Ow!_ " Ryoji clutched his injured hand, scowling at Sho. "You little brat... you're gonna regret that!"

Junko reached into her own jacket, but Sho was one step ahead - he tossed his sword aside and grabbed her arm, wrenching it to the side with enough force to dislocate her elbow. She shrieked and collapsed, grabbing at her now-useless arm; they'd both gone down like chumps, not even putting up that much resistance in the end.

"So, Yu." Sho approached his bound lover, picking up his sword again so that he could cut the ropes. "How'd you get caught by _these_ guys? They're not even worth my time."

"...Sho." To his credit, Yu didn't sound as distraught as he logically should have been in this situation - there he was, the former leader of the Investigation Team, cool under stress as always. "I wasn't expecting them. They got in through the window... I'm not sure how."

As Sho sliced through the rope that held Yu in place, he glanced over at the window on the far wall. Sure enough, it was open - more than wide enough for a human to slip through, though the window itself wasn't large enough for both, so they must've gone through one at a time. How they'd gotten in was indeed a mystery, but since these guys had some _other_ tricks up their sleeves, there was little point in questioning that part.

"Doesn't matter how," Sho stated, as he finished with Yu's ropes and moved on to Rise - she appeared to be unconscious. "They got in, and they caught you. They're lucky I don't wanna mess this place up."

"...And _you're_ lucky you're Ikutsuki's _pet._ " Ryoji appeared to have recovered from his hand injury, at least enough to pick up the Evoker with his other hand - Sho glimpsed it out of the corner of his eye. "Otherwise, you'd be joining him in the _dirt!_ "

Occupied with Rise's ropes, Sho couldn't stop Ryoji from using the Evoker this time; a Persona he couldn't identify appeared behind the bastard, and it focused its attention not on Sho, but rather on Junko - a healing spell, the one type of magic that Sho had never quite gotten the hang of. Even the Personas that were supposed to be good at healing always just backfired on him, so he'd given up on trying a long time ago.

" _That's_ more like it..." Junko stretched out her arm, now fully functional thanks to Ryoji's action. "Have some'a _this!_ "

Sho was in a bad position right now, but he wasn't defenseless. As he cut through the rope binding Rise, he focused on his inner power, the unique and rare ability of the Wild Card that allowed him to rearrange fragments of his psyche as he saw fit; the fragment he sought clicked into place as Junko pulled out her own Evoker, and a slight grin crossed the wanderer's face as he took one last glance at Rise before turning to face his foe.

"Himiko!"

The name of Rise's Persona, called so close to her, was apparently enough to wake her; she looked up just in time to witness the scanner Persona coalesce behind Sho, lending its strength to him as Junko's Persona emerged - also one that Sho didn't recognize, and even though he could borrow Rise's power, he wasn't able to use it with anywhere near as much proficiency as her. Like this, he could only scan incoming attacks and weaknesses... but that was all he _needed_ to do.

When he knew what to expect, handling enemy attacks wasn't hard at all. Some Bufu variant, which Sho evaded with ease, leaving an unsightly block of ice in the middle of the room; it dissipated soon after, and Junko glared at Sho in response - though there was clear surprise on her face as well.

"...Uh, I thought his Persona was Tsukiyomi?" Ryoji expressed his own surprise as he stepped over to Junko, clearly abandoning the hostages. "What was _that?_ "

"That was _my_ Persona..." Rise still seemed a little stunned by the whole situation - and the fact that Sho had summoned her power. "How did you...?"

"...Does that mean he can summon Izanagi, too?" Yu's speculation was, in fact, _true_ \- but Sho didn't have the time to answer it right now. Instead, he switched to that part of his psyche, opting to _show_ rather than _tell._

"I'm not like you one-trick ponies," Sho stated, as his favorite power welled within him - not _his_ Persona, technically, but he _did_ love borrowing it. "...I'm gonna give you a _real_ show tonight!"

Yu made a startled noise as Izanagi appeared behind Sho, all its splendor intact - it was a perfect mirror of Yu's own primary Persona, though perhaps not _quite_ as strong as the original. It was _more_ than strong enough to deal with an idiot who got caught off-guard by the fact that she didn't know she was dealing with a Wild Card-

"Freeze!"

Before anything else could happen, a voice called from the door, and Sho turned to face it, allowing his power to fizzle out. There stood none other than Naoto Shirogane, her eyes fixed on the two ruffians in the apartment... and her revolver drawn, aimed squarely at Ryoji.

"...Are you alright?" Shirogane took a few steps forward, making her way into the apartment; she kept her gun trained on Ryoji the whole time. "It seems I was a bit late..."

"Just on time, actually," Sho remarked, relieved by her presence. "Can you take care of these losers? I'd cut 'em open, but I don't wanna clean up the blood."

"Son of a..." With a _real_ gun pointed at him, Ryoji apparently lost the courage to use his Evoker, and he let the device slip out of his hand. "You're with the Shadow Ops, aren't you?"

"Not exactly," Shirogane answered him, her tone even - she was a _true_ professional. "I'm here on their behalf, but I am not one of their number." She glanced over at Junko, then finished her trek to Ryoji's side, and pressed the gun to his head. "Hands in the air."

"Fine." Junko was the one to answer the request - she put her hands up, acquiescing without any further struggle. "Give it up, Ryoji. We're no use to her if we get our brains blasted out here."

Ryoji hummed, though he didn't seem like he _wanted_ to give in; he put his hands up as well, and Shirogane went to work handcuffing him first - but then she glanced over at Sho, a request in her eyes.

"...Could you help?" the detective inquired, and she gestured with one hand to a second set of handcuffs at her waist, before she clicked the first cuff around Ryoji's wrist. "I won't tell them it was you who did it."

"Huh... sure." Sho snatched the handcuffs from Shirogane's belt, and mirrored her actions on Junko. "My lips are sealed."

He didn't want to admit it out loud, but cuffing an asshole like this actually felt pretty good - not like he'd have gotten an opportunity to do it under any other circumstances. It just so happened that this particular law enforcement officer was totally okay working with a criminal, because he was her _friend._

Once Ryoji and Junko were both secured, Shirogane went to collect their Evokers, and investigated the items for a moment before looking at the door. "...If you'll excuse me. I need to escort these two outside - I will be back later to discuss the situation at length."

With the aid of her gun, it wasn't hard for her to get the two to follow her out, and that left Sho alone in the apartment with Yu and Rise. The brief clash of Personas had left a small amount of collateral damage, but everything important was still intact, and hopefully it wouldn't take long to clean up.

"How are you two doing?" Sho asked, as he made his way back to where Yu and Rise sat against the wall - they still hadn't moved. "...Did those guys hurt you?"

"Aside from tying us up, no," Yu explained, and he forced a reassuring smile. "Rise passed out from the shock, I think..."

Rise massaged her arms, looking more than a little annoyed. "That Junko... she was after me for _more_ than just her _mission..._ "

"...Oh yeah, she said she wasn't into guys." Sho recalled that little tidbit from the start of the encounter, and scowled. "What'd she do to you?"

"She tried to feel me up while she was restraining me..." Rise made an irritated noise. "I don't remember anything after that. I think that was when I passed out..."

All of a sudden, Sho regretted his decision to leave that woman's innards intact. Rise wasn't attracted to other girls, and the thought that someone like Junko had tried to touch her inappropriately was-

_'Truly a shame. If I had known, I would have judged her myself.'_

Sho couldn't agree more with his other half in that moment. Still, he made an effort to keep himself calm - _not_ an easy task, in the wake of all that had happened, but he knew that he _had_ to. The night was not over _yet,_ and there were _things_ to attend to, such as the issue of Amaterasu's identity and how it pertained to Shirogane's investigation.

"...Anyway, I got some _real_ juicy information while I was out." Sho took a quick glance at the entrance to the apartment, then returned his attention to Yu and Rise. "Let's wait until the star of the show gets back. _She_ needs to know this, too."

"Did you encounter the culprit?" Yu inquired, and Sho just nodded in response - the details could wait just a bit longer. In the meantime, they all needed a distraction, and to Sho, there was no better distraction than spending time with the ones he loved.

"Let's rest until Naoto-kun gets back." Rise had the same idea, it seemed; she gestured for Sho to sit between her and Yu, a request which he accepted without complaint. He slid an arm around each of them, pulling them close - not willing to let them go.

At least Sho hadn't used his Plume of Dusk for long. Any more than that, and he would've started causing himself assorted injuries - and that would have led to Minazuki reprimanding him, as well as possible hospitalization. One of those was _much_ worse than the other, but he still didn't want to experience _either_ of them if he didn't have to.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that ending is kind of abrupt, but the scene was getting *really* long. Sorry!
> 
> Both Ryoji's and Junko's names are references. (No, this Ryoji is not the same as the one from P3!)


	11. kill or be killed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say that it feels nice to have some direction with this fic, even if I had to jump through some less-than-desirable hoops for it. It's better than how I started!

* * *

In the wake of what had happened inside his apartment, Yu's mind was reeling. He hadn't expected an ambush by the culprit's subordinates, nor had he expected to be held hostage; he was grateful that the only injuries he and Rise suffered were _mental,_ and that it hadn't taken long at all for Sho to return.

Speaking of Sho - Yu knew that his boyfriend shared the power of the Wild Card with him, but he hadn't expected to see Himiko and Izanagi summoned. Perhaps it was because of the depth of the bond Sho had with his lovers; powerful as it was, it didn't seem _too_ much of a stretch that he could "borrow" their power if need be, but it had still been rather astonishing to witness firsthand.

Yu had to admit that his respect and admiration for Sho had increased tenfold after that fight. The scar-faced boy who once tried to destroy the world out of a mistaken hatred of bonds had grown into a strong and capable fighter - he did not hesitate when it came to protecting those he loved, and he was also more than willing to flaunt those connections he'd built. The past six years had done him a _lot_ of good, and Yu only hoped that Sho continued to grow.

The timing with which Sho left the apartment had been horrible, but Yu had reason to believe that the culprit had been waiting for something like that to happen. They must have known that, without weapons or the ability to summon their Personas in the real world, Yu and Rise were defenseless; as Sho was the only one between them that could put up a real fight, their foe had to remove him from the equation first.

Or perhaps they had done that to try and break him even _further..._

It took some time for Naoto to return from delivering the two criminals to their escort. In the interest of not having to break in, she had left the door open, and a guard had taken up a position just outside; when she approached, she dismissed the guard, and pulled the door shut behind her as she stepped into the apartment.

"...First, I would like to make a statement." Naoto moved closer to the trio laying against the wall. "We were unable to identify the culprit. However, a short time ago, we received word that someone was coordinating an attack on this location... fortunately, I happened to be in the area at the time. I suspected that there was a connection, due to their target - however, I was unable to confirm anything."

" _I_ can confirm that for you," Sho told her, his expression grim. "I came across her myself. She used every damn cliche in the book, called herself 'Amaterasu', and gave me a haircut." He moved the arm he'd draped around Yu's shoulders, running his fingers along the shortened part of his hair. "She said outright that she was the one who sent the message, and told me she wanted me back."

" _Amaterasu..._ " Naoto raised an eyebrow at this. "...Is she...?"

Sho shook his head. "No, she said she wasn't anything divine. Just a human with a vendetta..." He trailed off, staring at the floor - mentioning that must have reminded him of the red night.

"...Still, this is an important detail." Naoto nodded once, and gave an acknowledging hum. "Thank you for this information. I will deliver it to Mitsuru-san as soon as I am able... hopefully, it will help her track down the culprit."

"What does she even _want_ with you?" It seemed that Rise's anger hadn't dissipated - getting touched inappropriately by another woman was a sore spot for her, apparently. "I mean, I know she wants to take you back to the Kirijo Group, but why would she target _us?_ It doesn't make any sense..."

"Hell if I know." Sho gave a half-shrug. "...There was... _something_ in her eyes. Can't really describe it, but... I get the feeling she wasn't just in it for the _testing._ "

"If that's the case..." Yu devised his own theory, based on the evidence he'd heard thus far. "...Maybe she wants you to herself, and considers us obstacles to that goal. She might not be so kind next time..."

"Those two had Evokers," Naoto noted. "It's safe to assume that they were Persona users... and that, if they were Amaterasu's subordinates, she is one as well." She turned her attention to Sho. "Can you-"

"They were _definitely_ Persona users," Sho responded immediately, interrupting Naoto. "I saw 'em use theirs... that Junko bitch tried to attack me." He tilted his head. "...Can I claim self-defense?"

A slight smile drew across Naoto's face. "Considering the circumstances, I can hardly incriminate you for your actions." The smile disappeared, replaced by a contemplative look. "...Though, I must ask. The Persona you summoned looked familiar... was that Izanagi?"

"Yeah, didn't Yu tell you?" Sho looked up at Naoto, bearing a proud grin. "I'm a Wild Card, just like him. Thanks to my bond with him, I can use his Persona, too... not as good as he can, but it does the job."

"He also summoned Himiko..." Rise, too, looked rather proud of Sho. "I didn't know he could do that, but... it's _really_ cool that he can."

"Most intriguing..." Naoto's smile returned. "May I relay this information to Mitsuru-san? I'm sure she would find it quite remarkable."

"Yeah, go ahead." Sho's expression softened; he really _had_ come a long way since the days when he rejected every Kirijo's existence. "...I trust her."

"How very mature of you," Naoto remarked, and her smile broadened ever so slightly. "Thank you again for assisting in the investigation, Sho. Your account will go a long way toward capturing the culprit..." The look in her eyes turned knowing. "Assuming you do not decide to issue your _own_ brand of vigilante justice."

"Look, can ya _blame_ me for wanting to kill her?" Sho scowled. "After that stunt she pulled, jail time's too good for her. Anyone threatens Yu and Rise, I'll rip their guts out myself... only reason I didn't do it to _those_ two shitheads was 'cuz I didn't wanna bother cleaning up."

"I know." Naoto turned away, and then said something rather _surprising-_

"If the culprit in this case were to mysteriously turn up dead, there would be no need to perform a more thorough investigation into the cause. While it _is_ difficult to eviscerate oneself, we could easily claim it as seppuku."

...That was _blatantly_ illegal, and yet Yu couldn't find it in him to object. More than anything, he was grateful that Naoto was going so far out of her way to protect Sho - against all logic and reason.

"You're out of your damn mind..." Sho gave a laugh. " _He's_ pretty impressed. Says he didn't think you'd have the guts to do that."

"You are a friend... and so is he." Naoto's response was simple, yet telling; she, too, had changed, though it was hard to say whether or not this change was for the better. After all, she _did_ have a job to do, and enabling criminals was...

"I'll speak with you another time," Naoto continued, as she made her way back to the door. "...Hopefully after this case comes to its conclusion. All of you... please, stay safe."

She left without another word, shutting the door firmly behind her. Yu slumped against the wall, all the tension leaving his body at once; he was _exhausted_ now, and he hoped that Sho didn't come up with any ridiculous ideas-

"Threesome?" The word left Sho's mouth before the thought left Yu's mind, and it wasn't surprising in the slightest, given Sho's favorite way of relieving stress. Still, given the situation, it was-

"Are you okay with that, Yu?" Rise inquired, clearly down for it herself, and Yu decided that just this once, he could do something horrendously inappropriate for the situation - it wouldn't be the first time, after all.

* * *

When Rise awoke the next morning, it was to the unpleasant feeling of stiffness in her arms and the much more desirable scent of something delicious wafting in from the kitchen. She pulled herself out of bed, disregarding her nudity - she was with people she trusted, and she didn't have the mental capacity to dress herself right now.

She massaged her arms as she made her way out to the kitchen, her thoughts turning to the events of last night. Most people probably wouldn't have accepted what she had after being groped by someone they didn't like - but Rise knew that after everything that had happened, Sho _needed_ the reminder of his lovers' affection for him, and she couldn't bring herself to turn him down. Even afterward, he still seemed tense, though not so much that he was unable to sleep.

It was just _like that_ when Sho was around. He had always been needy, demanding attention regardless of the situation; it couldn't be helped, given his painful upbringing, and Rise had vowed a long time ago that she wouldn't allow him to feel lonely anymore. She was sure that, if he accepted the offer to join her and Yu in marriage, that wouldn't change a bit - in fact, it might even get _worse,_ but Rise didn't intend to go back on her vow.

Besides, seeing Sho summon her Persona had stirred something within her. She hadn't been aware that he had that ability - she knew he was a Wild Card, but she had never once stopped to consider the possibility that his two strongest bonds would allow him to borrow their power. If Sho could do it, that meant Minazuki probably could as well-

"Good morning."

Speak of the devil. Minazuki was making breakfast again, and he seemed to be in a much better mood than he'd been in yesterday; he watched as Rise made her way over to the table, unfazed by her lack of clothing.

Yu, on the other hand - he made a surprised noise when Rise sat beside him at the table, and he glanced at her briefly before blushing and averting his gaze. Unusual for him, but she supposed he was still a little off-kilter after last night.

"You should get used to it," Rise informed her boyfriend, her tone teasing, as she nudged him with her elbow. "This is going to happen a _lot_ more often after we get married."

"You seem to be in good spirits," Minazuki observed, as he returned his attention to whatever he was preparing - it was a little hard to tell with him, but he always made it taste good, so Rise couldn't complain. "I must say, after your... _ordeal,_ I'm pleased to see you well."

Rise looked up at Minazuki, and noticed that his hair had been trimmed evenly, matching the length that had been imposed by the culprit's attack. "Did Sho-kun cut your hair?"

"He did not." Minazuki sounded amused by the suggestion - no doubt they'd squabbled over this issue before. "If he had, we would look _ridiculous._ "

That remark sent Rise into a fit of giggles - she hadn't expected Minazuki to say something like that, and while it wasn't much of a surprise, it did sound kind of silly coming from him. Still, the way he spoke of his other half was a firm reminder of their affection for each other; only people who were very close would behave that way toward one another, as she had both seen and demonstrated on many occasions.

It was good to see that, after the drama of six years ago, Sho and Minazuki had come to terms with each other and embraced their connection - all the more important due to the fact that they shared a body.

"...Your hair looks good." Yu spoke up, though his voice was a little on the quiet side. "I think I prefer it long, but this isn't bad, either."

"It will return to that length soon enough." Minazuki set aside what he'd been cooking, and started work on the next dish. "...I'm sure I will look no different than before at the time of your wedding."

The way he said that piqued Rise's interest - there was a strong implication there, but she couldn't quite place it. Despite that, she chose not to pry, knowing that the issue of Sho's decision was currently a _private_ matter.

"I wouldn't mind you cutting it every now and then," Rise suggested instead, keeping the subject on Minazuki's hair. "I think it suits you like this."

" _He_ would disagree." Minazuki gave a quiet laugh. "He has grown quite attached to the style we had before..." His tone shifted - and he changed the topic, just like that. "...Shirogane informed me that she has requested a bodyguard for you. It seems the guard in question will be minimally invasive."

"Minimally invasive, huh..." Yu looked as though he already had some idea of who it was. "I'll have to thank her for that. If the culprit has any more allies..."

Rise didn't want to think about _that_ possibility, even though she knew it was more than likely. This hadn't been the first time she'd become a hostage, and she hated the feeling no less - she never wanted to feel _useless,_ ever again.

"I should thank her, too," Rise agreed. "...She's done so much for all of us... even if this is her job, it's..."

"She has not requested compensation for her work," Minazuki reminded Rise. "This is something she _chose_ to do, for our sake." His voice grew soft. "...She would even defy the law she upholds and defend a criminal..."

That statement about letting Sho go if he killed the culprit _had_ been rather strange, coming from Naoto. It seemed that despite her occupation, she understood his pain, at least to an extent - though whether the sentiment had been for Sho or Minazuki was up in the air.

"We'll know the truth," Yu stated, and he sounded as if he'd had some sort of epiphany. "...As long as _someone_ knows, that's all that matters."

Yes, that was _right._ Even if the rest of the world was left in the dark, there would always be someone aware of the truth - and just as there was a time for honesty, there was a time for secrecy, too.

With that thought fresh in her mind, Rise made a decision of her own. If Sho decided to join in her marriage with Yu, she would accept whatever compromise he requested - even if it meant continuing to keep him a secret.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I get the feeling the quality has taken a nosedive, though. Whoops!


	12. unforgotten vows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, it's her!

* * *

In retrospect, it was unsurprising that the Shadow Operatives deployed Labrys as the promised bodyguard. Her _system requirements_ were different from those of a human; she didn't need a bed to sleep on, and she didn't need to eat, but she wasn't _minimally invasive_ by any means. She wasn't like the bots used by the remnants - she had a mind of her own, and that meant she could be even _more_ annoying than them.

Moments after her arrival, Labrys had tried to strike up a conversation with Sho, and he had pointedly ignored her. To his infinite relief, she seemed to detect his disinterest, and left him alone after that; she went to go bother Yu instead, catching up with him after a long absence of communication. Rise joined in on the conversation soon afterward, and this left Sho by himself with no one but the voice in his head to talk to.

Six years ago, he would've embraced the peace and quiet of being alone. People were just nuisances, and bonds were a sign of weakness - but he had _changed_ since then. Even _thinking_ of his old mentality disgusted Sho, and he now accepted the _unpleasant_ feeling that came with being alone; this, of course, also meant that he wanted to _alleviate_ it, but he wasn't sure if Minazuki would be willing to talk normally, given his mood.

Well, it was worth a shot. Letting him spend time with Yu and Rise seemed to have helped Minazuki calm down somewhat, and Sho didn't have much else to do - at least, nothing that wasn't dangerous. He hid away in Yu's bedroom while the other three chatted outside, and turned his attention to his other half, whose presence wavered within him.

That usually meant that either Minazuki was upset, or he was thinking about something. Sho hoped that this time, it was the latter.

"Hey." Sho spoke up, knowing that no matter how hard he thought at Minazuki, they couldn't communicate with each other like that. "Something up?"

 _'Nothing of importance.'_ Minazuki didn't _sound_ upset - a good sign. _'I have been considering the events of the past few days. It is... quite a lot to process, is it not?'_

"Seriously." Sho changed his position on Yu's bed, stretching himself out upon it. "I can't _wait_ 'til this all blows over so we can get back to the _real_ issue."

 _'Yet it is a direct result of this incident that you've made your decision,'_ Minazuki pointed out. _'This has not been meaningless, nor has it been a waste. You were able to protect them... therefore, the overall outcome is positive thus far.'_

" _Thus far._ " Sho parroted Minazuki's words back at him for emphasis. "Amaterasu's still out there, and we don't know what else she's got up her sleeve. Sure, the toaster'll help, but..."

 _'You should relax for the time being.'_ Minazuki was insistent - admittedly, he did have a point. _'Shirogane and the Kirijo heir are working together to apprehend her. You know them to be trustworthy.'_

"Yeah..." Sho thought back to the hostage situation yesterday, and how the not-so-little detective had arrived at the perfect time. "...Y'know, I can see why you like her so much. She's really grown up, y'know? That ex-punk's a lucky bastard."

 _'Our relationship is **not** like that,'_ Minazuki stated, irritation in his tone - _good._ _'She and I have developed a mutual respect for each other after a series of intriguing intellectual exchanges. Perhaps I do find her attractive... but that is only on a superficial level. I would not consider becoming involved with her, even **if** she were available.'_

Sho laughed. "Yeah, keep tellin' yourself that." Really, it felt good to tease his other half like this; he _finally_ got some comeuppance for everything he'd had to endure since the guy's return. "She's a real _stunner,_ eh? I bet you wouldn't even mind getting _stunned_ by her!"

 _'...That was terrible.'_ Minazuki sounded unamused. _'If you wish to continue your habit of wordplay, you'd best devise fresh material. I could offer assistance, if you wish.'_

"Pass." Sho waved a hand dismissively, then turned his thoughts to something else; the mention of his wordplay habit had reminded him of the man he got it from. "...Hey. Y'think we'd be any good at parenting?"

 _'Certainly better than the one you once called your father.'_ Despite his measured response, Minazuki seemed surprised by the question. _'...Are you considering becoming a father? Or would you prefer to aid in the care of Narukami's children?'_

"Depends on how things turn out." Sho considered his decision - at this point, he wasn't even sure if it was an acceptable answer. "...But I get the feeling I'd just screw up. If we have any kids, _you_ should be the dad."

 _'From a genetic standpoint, that is impossible,'_ Minazuki said, completely missing the point. _'I am not human, and this body originally belonged to you. Any children fathered by us would technically be yours.'_

"That's not even _close_ to what I meant..." Sho breathed a frustrated sigh. "...Look, Ikutsuki wasn't _really_ my dad. We weren't blood related or anything... you know that, right? As far as _that_ goes, you could one-up him easily."

 _'As could you,'_ Minazuki insisted. _'You have learned to be kind... as he did not. That would already make you a far better father than him.'_

"...Why are we even talking about this?" Sho placed a hand to his forehead. "The decision's not final yet. I might still change my mind, yeah? And even if I don't, there's no telling what _they'll_ think. Hell, they might just dump me on the spot anyway."

 _'You were the one who mentioned the issue of parenting,'_ Minazuki reminded him, obnoxious as always. _'...As for the scenario you posited, I consider that extremely unlikely. They care for you far too much... at worst, some negotiation may be required.'_

"Yeah, and maybe I'll change my mind." Sho groaned. "...Freakin' _bonds._ Turns out, they're _still_ full'a shit. There's so much _thinking,_ and _talking,_ and... _other stuff._ Startin' to think I shouldn't have started dating in the first place... it's too damn _complicated._ "

...Though, if given the choice, he wouldn't give up the experiences he'd had. As difficult as bonds could be, they were also rewarding beyond his wildest dreams, and he knew that he could never have known true happiness if he hadn't made them.

 _'You should refrain from overthinking things.'_ Minazuki's gentle reminder sounded like something a _true_ parent would say - he really _would_ be good for the job. _'Simply be patient for a while longer... if you would prefer it, I could assume control, and spare you the experience.'_

Sho wanted to argue, but Minazuki was right. The encounter with Amaterasu had borne fruit; the investigation was nearing its end, and it wouldn't be long at all before the culprit was dealt with. He still kind of wanted to kill her himself, but all things considered, that would probably lead to a whole host of other issues - and just this once, he didn't want to make things harder on Shirogane.

"Yeah... just a little longer." Sho closed his eyes, feeling tired all of a sudden; the past few days had taken a serious toll on him, in more ways than one. "...I think I'll take a _real_ nap. If it gets worse, I'll take you up on that offer."

 _'Sleep well,'_ Minazuki said, as if their shared body falling unconscious had no effect on him. That was the only time he slept, after all - the rest of the time, he was active, whether he liked it or not.

Sho rolled over on his side, snuggling into the bedclothes; surrounded by his boyfriend's scent, it didn't take him long at all to fall asleep, his emotional turmoil fading into nothingness - at least, until he woke up.

* * *

The hostage situation had gotten to Yu, in more ways than one. With Labrys around, he felt a lot safer, but he still couldn't focus on his work; he considered taking a day or two off to try and relax a little, even though he knew that _relaxing_ would be a nigh-impossible feat right now.

He had once been the leader of the Investigation Team, staring down death without pause - he had fought against a goddess and _won,_ but that wasn't in _this_ world. Here in reality, without weapons to fight with, Yu was helpless against their foes; perhaps if he hadn't been caught off-guard and tied up, he could have tried to take one of their Evokers, but with the way things had gone, those two had every advantage over him.

That feeling of helplessness sank into Yu's very being, overtaking his rationality with every passing moment. A dozen what-if scenarios circulated in his head, driving him further into madness - he couldn't even _begin_ to imagine how Rise felt. For a long time, she hadn't been able to fight, even in the TV world; the most she could do was offer support for the _real_ combatants, and this had led to her becoming a hostage during the P-1 Grand Prix. To have that experience repeated _after_ she learned how to fight back... it must have been unspeakably horrible for her.

After receiving that message, Yu had talked big about protecting Sho, but in the end, Sho had ended up protecting him again. It just didn't feel _right_ \- if this was the TV world, that would never have happened. With Sho keeping his skills sharp over the years, Yu would have been able to fight back with ease, and the battle would have been just as one-sided as it had been after Sho stepped into the picture.

It was all just so horribly _unfair._ Yu _hated_ not being able to do anything, and he didn't see that handicap changing anytime soon; Amaterasu wouldn't wait for him to dive into a TV, and if her two allies broke out of prison - a distinct possibility, given their abilities - he could end up in the exact same situation all over again. Sho would have to save him _again,_ and-

"Hey, Yu-kun. You alright?"

Labrys' voice stirred Yu from his thoughts - he had spaced out in front of his computer, the article he'd been given to work on untouched. He glanced back at her, and attempted a smile, but he knew that she wouldn't be fooled by it; she had the ability to read his vital signs, and with that, she could _easily_ tell that he was distressed.

"...No, I'm not," he answered her, letting the forced smile fall from his face. "Yesterday really rattled me... I don't think I've ever felt like this before."

"Yeah, that'd do that to _anyone._ " Labrys placed a hand on Yu's shoulder; the cold, hard touch of her metallic fingers was somehow strangely reassuring. "Don't worry. I got your back."

"I know..." Yu turned back to his computer, and breathed a sigh. "...I need to stop overthinking things. This really isn't like me... I have more important things to focus on right now." Yet another unwanted thought crossed his mind. "...If Amaterasu decides to attack directly... will you be able to handle her?"

"C'mon, who do ya take me for?" Labrys sounded rather unimpressed by that inquiry - of course, she was quite literally _made_ for fighting. "Doesn't matter what kinda combat trainin' she has, she's still just a human. An' even if I can't take her alone, I got Sho-kun to back me up."

Yeah, it was a stupid question born from irrational anxiety. A more genuine smile crossed Yu's face, and he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.

"That's right... none of us are alone." Yu spoke the words almost absently - Labrys' reminder was a much needed one. "Even if I can't fight here, I can depend on the people who can. Sorry for doubting you like that."

"You're stressed right now, ain't ya?" Labrys' grip tightened just the slightest bit - she had to be careful, of course, as she could cause _serious_ harm if she wasn't. "I don't blame ya for that. Don't forget, I was a hostage too, once... an' you guys bailed me out. I'm just returnin' the favor for back then."

Yu hadn't forgotten, although it _had_ slipped his mind in the heat of the moment. The P-1 Grand Prix had been organized by Labrys' Shadow... _after_ she was thrown into the TV world against her will, turned into a victim after being kidnapped by Sho. With that in mind, it was kind of surprising that she was willing to work with the man who had put her in that situation in the first place, but then again...

Sho had changed since then, and he had reconciled with Labrys. Yu didn't have any reason to believe that the two would be unable to work together, especially if it came down to protecting the ones they cared about.

"Thanks..." Yu turned his attention to his laptop once again, and made an effort to dispel his concerns. "...I'm going to try and get some work done. Could you keep an eye out for anything strange?"

"That's what I'm here for," Labrys reminded him, as she removed her hand from his shoulder. "...An' sorry for takin' up so much space. I know you guys want privacy."

Now _that_ was something she _never_ needed to apologize for. Yu just laughed in response - he felt better already, knowing that no matter what happened, Labrys had his back.

"Just... don't record us or anything, alright?" An absolutely _horrible_ thought crossed Yu's mind. "...Unless you want to prank Mitsuru-san. Then I'll let it slide."

Labrys didn't respond at first - and then she burst into laughter, the low-brow joke tickling her a bit more than expected. At this, a sense of relief permeated Yu's body, drowning out the rest of his anxiety; it was ridiculous that he'd been so worried to begin with, surrounded by friends as he was.

Before he got started on work again, Yu made one last remark-

"Maybe I'll credit you in my next article. You're a bit of an unusual source, but you're _very_ helpful."

That sent Labrys into another fit of laughter, and Yu was grateful that she didn't need to breathe - if she did, then this might end up being hazardous to her health.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now all my favorite ladies are in!
> 
> I originally planned to segue into a fight scene, but ended up just writing some banter instead. Down time isn't a bad thing, right?


	13. severing the chains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's all one segment, too. It also concludes this dumb OC arc.

* * *

The second message from Amaterasu was sent to Sho's cellphone in the middle of the night. He was asleep when it happened, and the notification sound did not wake him; he nearly panicked when he saw the text at last, knowing there could be no one else who would deliver such a specific message-

_"Come to the edge of the city alone. Your bonds only weaken you."_

His fear melted into anger. That bitch had a _lot_ of nerve, bringing up his past mentality - and he wasn't going to answer _that_ part of her request. Sure, he wouldn't pass up an opportunity to deal with her, but the idea of being _alone_ didn't sit right with him, not after what had happened before.

It was still early in the morning, and Sho hated to disturb his lovers, but right now, it was a necessary evil. He woke them both, and told them of the message he'd received; they offered to join him at the meeting place, as leaving them alone at the apartment meant there was a risk of another hostage situation cropping up.

There was no other option in Sho's mind. If Yu and Rise were with him, he could protect them - and that thought reaffirmed a certain _decision_ for him as well. If nothing else, Amaterasu had helped him in _that_ regard, and he almost wanted to _thank_ her for it.

Of course, Labrys went along with the group, too. It was her job, and Sho was happy to have another capable combatant with him; it would have been better if Yu and Rise could fight, but this wasn't the TV world, and so they couldn't use their power. Sho almost had half a mind to give Yu one of his swords - he'd learned how to do with just one in dire situations - but decided against it in the end, feeling that if Yu tried to fight, he was at a much greater risk of getting himself hurt.

Still, it wasn't like those two were dead weight. Their mere presence was encouraging, and them being there also meant that they couldn't be tied up again. Sho felt confident in his mission as he made his way to the edge of the city, delivered there by public transportation - uncomfortable, but faster and easier than walking.

When the group arrived at their relatively quiet destination, their assailant was nowhere to be seen. She was the kind of person who liked sneaking about in the shadows, if that last encounter was any indicator; Sho kept his guard up, and Labrys scanned the area in search of the enemy, taking advantage of the abilities she possessed as an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon.

"There you are." It didn't take long for Labrys to locate her target; she gestured to an inconspicuous thicket in the midst of the open field, just the sort of dumb cliche that Amaterasu liked. "Come on out. I can't beat you up if ya stay hidden."

"...A _machine._ " The familiar voice of the perpetrator behind this incident accompanied her appearance from the thicket - and she looked _pissed._ "I don't understand. Why would you bring a machine with a soul? Is she another of the ones who has chained you?"

"No, she's here to help me kick your ass." Sho drew his swords, and took a few steps toward Amaterasu; it would be difficult to hold himself back, but he wanted to at least make an effort not to kill her. "Really, she's just an annoying piece of junk... but hey, she can fight, so why not bring her along? Three's better than two, right?"

"Those two..." Amaterasu disregarded Sho's words, and turned her attention to the defenseless pair behind him. "You were able to leave them before, so why...?"

Sho didn't answer verbally. Instead, he charged forward, hoping to catch the bitch off-guard - but she noticed, and stepped out of the way of his initial strike. Just like last time, and Sho wondered what kind of inhuman combat training Amaterasu had to evade his attacks with such ease.

Maybe if he could slow her down somehow-

"Ariadne!" Labrys answered the thought, calling forth her power - an easy feat for her, as she was designed to do just that. The threads of her Persona weaved around Amaterasu's form, keeping her in place for long enough that Sho could attack again; this time, he caught his target with the flat edge of one of his swords, injuring her hand.

Just in case she thought she could whip out an Evoker like her lackeys had. This scum wasn't allowed to fight on even terms - her only purpose here was to be _apprehended._

"...Why?" Amaterasu appeared to ignore the pain in her hand, and drew a knife from her cloak with her other hand. "Why have you chosen to throw away everything you stood for? What is it that compels you to leave your kin behind - to leave _me_ behind!?"

The threads snapped, and Amaterasu threw the knife - aiming it directly at Rise. Sho tapped into the dangerous power given to him by his Plume of Dusk, and intercepted the knife before it could reach its target, sending it into the ground with a swing of his sword; he turned to his foe, and prepared to strike once again, but _something_ held him back. His instincts told him that attacking now would backfire, and that he would be better off using his inner power instead-

Just like that, a familiar-looking image flickered into place behind Amaterasu. A Persona - and not just _any_ Persona either, but a twisted mirror image of _Amagi's,_ its flower-like wings stained with sickly green rot. A stream of fire issued forth from it, and Sho answered the assault with Tsukiyomi, deflecting the flames away from him; he still felt the aftereffects, the pain of a nonexistent burn crawling up his arms as he struggled to maintain his composure.

_She hadn't used an Evoker._

"The threads of fate have bound us from the beginning..." Amaterasu looked up at Sho, and he caught a glimpse of absolute _madness_ in her eyes. "You and I... we were destined to be together from the moment we were born... so why is it that you resist fate so...? Why do you form false bonds to escape the one you were _meant_ to stand by?"

Yeah, okay, she wasn't just a bitch. She was a _crazy_ bitch, and Sho's urge to eviscerate her grew stronger by the second - if she didn't shut her damn mouth, he wouldn't be _able_ to hold back, and he hoped that Labrys would be able to shield Yu and Rise from the sight if _that_ happened.

"You're crazier than I am," Sho stated, and he focused once again on his power. "Guess that's what lets you use a Persona, huh?" He recalled a certain project that he'd learned a few things about during his fight against the Kirijo Group - a project that reminded him uncannily of his _own_ experiences. "...Or maybe that isn't really a Persona at all, just some Shadow that's trying to look like one?"

Of course, the two things were fundamentally the same - it was just that one was controlled, while the other wasn't. Sho had reason to believe that the victims of that project were a bit _different_ from proper Persona users, and so they needed outside assistance to control their inner selves; at least _he_ wasn't one of them, and Tsukiyomi answered his summons without resistance.

Amaterasu called forth her own Persona - Sho was going to call it that for now - to block the swing of Tsukiyomi's blade, but just as her fire had harmed Sho, his strike caused her pain as well. She flinched, clutching her abdomen as she glared at Sho, and with her other hand, she reached into her cloak once again... but faltered at the last moment, as if just now remembering that her hand was injured.

"You're _just like me..._ " A mad smile drew across Amaterasu's lips, just visible beneath the cloak that hid her face. "Driven to insanity by those who sought this world's ultimate truth... forged for that singular purpose, and yet... you abandoned your search for the truth, and allowed yourself to be chained by false bonds... accept your fate, and join me...!"

"...You don't know _anything_ about searching for the truth." The sound of Yu's voice startled Sho, and he glanced back for the briefest of moments - Yu had _something_ in his hand. "If you want to know why Sho made his decision, stop letting yourself be deceived by the fog. Open your eyes, and look at what's in front of you...!"

Sho heard the sound of a trigger being pulled, and then, seemingly out of the blue, Amaterasu was struck by a massive, unnatural bolt of lightning. It didn't take long for Sho to put two and two together - though he had to keep his guard up, and thus couldn't look at Yu for an extended period, his boyfriend had somehow gotten his hands on an Evoker, and used it to call upon his own inner strength. The fact that he'd used it without hesitation to join in on the fight was beyond impressive, and it also meant that Amaterasu was now at a _serious_ disadvantage; Persona user or no, she couldn't fight against three of them at the same time, and even in her insanity, she _had_ to have realized that in _some_ capacity.

"You can thank me for that later," Labrys remarked, as she summoned Ariadne to bind Amaterasu. "It ain't fair to those two if they can't fight, yeah?"

...So _she_ was the one who'd given Yu the Evoker. It must've been a direct order from her boss - Sho made a note to thank the Kirijo heir when he got the chance, as well as Labrys herself.

"You...!" Amaterasu struggled against the threads that held her in place, though with the damage she'd taken from Izanagi's attack, she was too weak to break them. "You've _seduced_ him... and drawn him away from my side... where he _belongs..._ how _dare_ you...!"

"You're right on _one_ account." Rise sounded rather smug as she stepped in front of Sho - a bold move, though he would _never_ allow her to come to harm if he had a choice in the matter. "We _did_ seduce him... but only _after_ he'd already made up his mind to be with us." She glanced over at Labrys, who had put all her focus into channeling her power. "And _she's_ not interested."

"Looks like you've _bound_ yourself to your _own_ fate." Sho sheathed his swords, and reached into the pack he'd carried with him; there was a length of rope in there, brought along for this exact purpose, and he pulled it out as he made his way over to Amaterasu, choosing to overlook the fact that Rise followed him. "You're gonna get tied up _real_ good now... and these aren't the _fun_ kinda bonds!"

With Ariadne still pinning her down, it didn't take long to bind Amaterasu's wrists with the rope. She continued to glare at Sho the whole time, even after the scarlet threads retreated and she collapsed to the ground, no longer able to fight back.

"You've made a grave mistake, _Sho Minazuki..._ " Amaterasu hissed out Sho's name between clenched teeth. "Someday, you will learn that you cannot escape fate... no matter how hard you try to break free from it..."

"...Take her away." Sho stepped back from Amaterasu, looking over at Labrys. "You don't know how badly I wanna kill this bitch. You might not get your chance to take her alive if you wait too long."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Labrys approached the bound suspect, then picked her up with ease. "Meet me back at the apartment, 'kay? I got some stuff to give to you."

Sho nodded at Labrys, then watched as she took off, aided by the boosters built into her axe. With Amaterasu apprehended, the bloodlust left him all at once, and he felt a little unsteady on his feet - it was _finally_ over.

"...Actually, she gave me an Evoker, too." Rise met Sho's gaze, sheepish. "But even then... I couldn't bring myself to use it. Sorry..."

"Hey, those things take _guts_ to use." Sho turned to Rise, and pulled her into a loose hug - she had stayed close to him the entire time. "Don't beat yourself up over it. Most important thing is that you're _safe._ "

"Yeah." Yu came up behind Rise, and hugged her as well. "We're _all_ safe... and Amaterasu is dealt with. We won't have to worry about _her_ anymore."

Rise glanced over at Yu, then looked back at Sho; she looked like she was going to start crying any second. "You guys..."

"Let's get back," Sho stated, as his thoughts turned to his decision. "I've got something _big_ to tell you two."

Both Yu and Rise nodded, though Rise refused to leave Sho's embrace; with a smile and a resigned sigh, he picked her up, carrying her as he started off toward the edge of town. Once they got to a more populated location, they could call for public transportation again, and from there, it would just be a matter of waiting a little bit longer.

Now that the time was nigh, Sho couldn't help feeling apprehensive... but that hadn't ever stopped him from doing something stupid _before,_ and it certainly wouldn't stop him _now._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I'm not entirely pleased with how this whole thing turned out. In trying to keep up the mythology parallels, I made Amaterasu a little too similar to Yukiko in certain regards. (Still not related - it's all either a coincidence or for the sake of the theme.)
> 
> Labrys could have joined in on the fight properly, but she stuck to just using her Persona because she wanted to arrest Amaterasu, and using her axe could have caused problems for a squishy human.


	14. break out of your fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!

* * *

On the way back to the apartment, Sho found himself inside the Velvet Room. The place was deeply familiar to him; he'd been there countless times over the course of his journey, and his contract had lasted for quite a bit longer than most. Now, however, it was time to bid farewell to that mysterious space and its residents - for better or worse, his journey was _over._

From this point forward, Sho intended to put in every effort to clean up his act. Of course, he would never be free from sin - such was the nature of the arrangement he had with Yu and Rise - but at the very least, he didn't want to take another life if it could be helped. Doing so would get him in trouble, and that was the _last_ thing he wanted to do to those two.

That last visit to the Velvet Room didn't last long, although the attendant seemed rather sad to see Sho go. He suspected that he'd be hearing from her again at some point in the future, contract or no - those people just didn't know how to stay where they belonged, it seemed. He'd met and sparred with that _Elizabeth_ a handful of times, though he was never able to even approach her nightmarish strength.

When Sho awoke from his soul's little trip to another dimension, he had reached his destination - _for the time being._ The walk to Yu's apartment didn't take long from there, and he spent that time considering his decision; he had already thought it through extensively, something that was rare for him, yet he knew that if anything deserved it, it was _this._ His answer to the question posed by Yu was...

Well, it was a bit more complicated than _yes._ After all, as much as Sho hated rules, he'd have to make some _compromises_ if he wanted to continue pursuing his happiness - but he _wasn't_ going to leave them behind, _ever again._

As he stepped into the familiar main room of the apartment, Sho turned his attention to the two that accompanied him. Labrys was still out, and hopefully she wouldn't come back for a bit; this discussion didn't concern her, loose-lipped as she was when it came to him. The last thing he needed was for the plan to backfire because an annoying robot blabbed it to her boss before everything was set in place.

"...So, your decision." Yu seemed impatient - a rarity for him, though Sho couldn't blame him, given the situation. "Is it a yes or a no?"

Sho rubbed the back of his neck with a hand, and shot a quick glance at Rise; then, he turned his gaze to the floor, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. He'd been waiting anxiously all this time, and yet now that the time had come, he couldn't just _spit it out_ \- it was stupid as hell, and he wanted to berate himself for being such a coward.

"Well..." Sho took a deep breath, and let it out in a sigh. "It's... _neither,_ really. I'm not _leaving_ you... but I'm not _marrying_ you, either."

He looked up, just in time to catch the look of appalled shock on Rise's face. Yeah, objections were to be expected.

"You aren't...?" Rise's expression turned from astonishment to desperation as she spoke - it was clear that she'd anticipated a straight _yes._ "Does that mean... you're going to keep running around and putting yourself in danger? You can't-"

" _No,_ " Sho responded, cutting her off. "...I'm _done_ with that shit. Called it off with my _employers_ and everything... the Kirijo girl can deal with her _own_ family legacy." He paused, and breathed another sigh. "But let's face it... legally speaking, I _can't_ marry you. Believe me, I'd _love_ to, but unless the laws magically change..."

He was surprised that neither of them had considered that little issue. Minazuki had reminded him of it once or twice, and he hadn't forgotten - it had pertained to his future from the start, after all, and while he'd considered flipping off the law like he usually did, he knew that he would have to make some compromises from this point forward.

"You've never had a problem with breaking the law before," Yu pointed out, and while the sentiment sounded strange coming from him, he was right in a sense. "We could go somewhere else and..."

"We could, but what would everyone else think?" No matter how much Sho tried to disregard the opinions of society, he always ended up caring too much in the end - it had to be a part of his anxiety around people. "We can't just _announce_ to the world that, oh, hey, Risette's been banging a convict all this time, but he's cleanin' up his act, so it's A-OK! And you know _I_ never gave a shit about being attracted to a guy, but what about _you?_ "

There was a reason Yu had been uncomfortable about the prospect of a same-sex relationship at first. Society didn't look favorably upon such bonds, as ridiculous as that notion was.

"...You raise an excellent point," Yu admitted, after a brief silence. "This... isn't something we can just announce without repercussions, is it...?"

"But..." Even after all those points had been made, Rise still resisted - she was all heart, and always had been. "...That isn't fair to you, Sho-kun. You said yourself that you wanted to get married, and..."

"Yeah, I _did_ say that." Sho considered the second part of his answer. "But... y'know, there are some _real_ shady people after you two. Amaterasu _really_ loved sneakin' around in the _shadows..._ even if you keep those Evokers, you might still get outnumbered. You'll need a bodyguard, and who better than a two-for-one Wild Card who already knows how to kick ass?"

Yu and Rise both stared at Sho as they processed this information; he could practically _see_ the gears turning in their heads, and hoped that they would accept this plan. Of course, it would be even _better_ if Little Miss Ice Queen unofficially employed Sho as a representative of the Shadow Operatives, but he'd have to talk that over with Labrys - or the queen herself.

"So... officially, you'd be our bodyguard." Yu figured out Sho's meaning with relative ease, as was to be expected of him. "...No one has to know what goes on behind closed doors, right?" He turned to his girlfriend. "What do you think, Rise? It isn't quite the same as exchanging rings, but all things considered, I think it's a fair compromise. He wants to stop breaking the law, after all."

Rise stared at the floor for a long moment, and she didn't say anything at first; then, she spoke up, a hesitant smile on her face. "I guess... we're all going to have to make compromises, aren't we...? Well, it's better than what we've _been_ doing..." She looked up at Sho. "Sorry... I wasn't really thinking. As long as you don't run off and do something dangerous on your own... I'll accept this."

"No more fool's errands, I promise." Sho stepped up to Rise, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "That's _Yu's_ job, yeah?" He shot a glance at the man in question, then allowed a smile to cross his own face. "By the way, _he's_ not going anywhere, either. He already agreed to all this."

Minazuki had initially preferred the thought of a more official arrangement, but it wasn't hard to sway him - all Sho needed to do was bring up the legal issue after mentioning the alternative he'd come up with. No matter how annoying he could be, Minazuki wasn't _stupid,_ and even he recognized the flaws in the idea of polygamy.

"Then... I guess we won't be changing our names." Rise looked back at Yu, and her smile became more genuine. "It'd get confusing for _him_ if we did, right?"

"You have a point there..." Yu gave a short laugh; he hadn't forgotten Minazuki's habit of referring to them by their last names. "I don't have any objections." A thoughtful look appeared on his face. "...Should we tell everyone else?"

Sho knew what he meant by that - the former members of the Investigation Team, who had all proven themselves trustworthy in various ways. Even pain-in-the-ass Hanamura deserved to know about this... actually, _he_ deserved to know more than anyone else.

"Sure, why not?" Sho grinned at the prospect of hammering the point home to his rival. "Especially Yosu _gay._ Maybe he'll realize how hopeless it is to chase after a guy who isn't interested!"

"...You're _still_ on about that?" Yu sounded exasperated. "It's been _six years..._ he moved on a long time ago. Actually, I think he's dating-"

"Don't care!" Sho loudly interrupted Yu, caught up in the singular thought of one-upping that little jerk. "You can't seriously tell me he doesn't still have the hots for you. Have you _seen_ the way he looks at you?"

"Guys, please..." Rise made an attempt to inject her own flavor of reason into the conversation. "...We'll let everyone know what our plan is, and then we'll put it in motion. You can fight with Yosuke-kun _then._ "

...That was fair enough, Sho supposed. He still wanted to kick the guy's ass, but seeing as Hanamura wasn't physically present right now, doing so would be kind of difficult.

"Yeah, yeah." Sho's thoughts turned to a certain robot. "Hey, didn't the toaster say she had something for us? When d'ya think she'll be back?"

"She _is_ taking a suspiciously long time," Yu noted. "I wonder if something else came up?"

"Nothing to do but wait..." Rise moved a little closer to Sho. "In the meantime, I just wanted to say... thank you, Sho-kun." She paused, shaking her head. "... _Sho._ "

The way she said his name then sounded... _strange,_ but also kind of nice. Sho pulled her into a hug in response, enjoying her warmth - and he blushed when she returned the gesture, resting her head on his chest.

Caught up in the moment as he was, Sho didn't notice Yu moving behind him, and was startled when he felt his boyfriend's arms wrap around him. Once he adjusted to the feeling, he realized how _nice_ it was; they'd both accepted his compromise, and that meant he'd be able to stay with them - _until death did they part._

Maybe it wasn't quite the same as a _real_ marriage, but as long as he could keep loving Yu and Rise, Sho was _happy._

* * *

When Labrys returned to the apartment, she carried a bag with her - and it looked rather _full,_ too. Sho didn't have the first clue what she'd brought, but the sight of it made him _very_ curious; he had no doubt that the bag's contents were presents of some sort, which seemed rather pointless at first glance, but then again...

The Shadow Operatives, as it turned out, were a sentimental bunch. Sho knew that, Labrys aside, they'd known each other in high school, and had become friends with each other in a similar manner to the Investigation Team. There was no reason this sentimentality wouldn't extend to the people they'd fought alongside during that incident six years ago.

"Sorry, Sho-kun." Labrys addressed Sho first - a pre-emptive apology, though for what, he didn't know. "Only got one thing for ya. I think you'll like it, though."

As if he was expecting anything big from those guys. He had, after all, been the perpetrator of the incident that had brought the Shadow Operatives and Investigation Team together - it was no surprise that everything there was for Yu and Rise.

"So, what'd you get for us?" Unable to contain her excitement, Rise scampered over to the robot, trying to peer inside the bag. Labrys moved it away, waving a finger at Rise - and a shit-eating grin crossed her face.

"One thing at a time," Labrys insisted, as she set the bag down on the floor. "Everyone back at the Shadow Ops thought you needed a pick-me-up after what happened, so we got you a buncha stuff. Just small things, but hey, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"From the Shadow Operatives...?" Yu sounded surprised - as if those people didn't _also_ consider him a friend. "...Make sure to thank everyone for me when you get back. But, um... I hope it's nothing _too_ big."

"Yeah, ya got _big_ plans in the near future, don'tcha?" Labrys turned to Sho, winking at him. "First things first, the star of the show... all I got for you is an offer. Y'wanna do some side work for us?"

...What kind of crazy coincidence-

"Yeah," Sho answered her, without even thinking; an indignant nudge from Minazuki made him realize what he'd just done. "...Uh, what exactly is this _side work?_ I'm done hunting Kirijos."

"Not huntin'." Labrys gestured to Yu and Rise. "You'd be workin' as a bodyguard for those two. Now that you've stirred up the hive, those guys'll be after both you and everyone you care about. Yu-kun might be able to take 'em, but Mitsuru-san doesn't wanna take any chances." She looked downright smug now. "Of course, you'd get compensated for your work. Can't pay you a full salary, but you could use some income on the side, yeah?"

 _'...Tempting as that sounds, I believe it would be in your best interest to decline.'_ Minazuki, ever the logical one, pointed out the flaw in the offer. _'You have already decided upon that arrangement without compensation. Tell her of your plan.'_

Sho gave a half-shrug. "...Well, I'd love to just say _yes,_ but I'm afraid I can't get paid for it." He flashed her a grin in return. "I already planned to do that... unofficially, of course. Let your boss know that she can keep the cash."

"Huh?" Labrys looked confused for a split second - and then it dawned on her. " _Ohhh,_ I get what you're gettin' at. Alright, I'll let her know... an' congrats, by the way. Can I attend the wedding?"

"You'll have to ask those two," Sho said, gesturing at Yu and Rise. "It'll be _their_ ceremony. I'm just tagging along for the ride."

"We'd love to have you, Labrys." Yu shot a side glance at Rise, who nodded in response; their opinion on the matter was unsurprising, as they both considered Labrys a dear friend of theirs. Inviting friends to one's wedding was totally normal - _expected,_ even, and Sho wouldn't be surprised if both the former Investigation Team and the Shadow Operatives attended.

Of course, Sho himself would be there, too... as an _unofficial participant,_ rather than a guest, and just the _thought_ made him giddy.

"Thanks, guys..." A delighted smile appeared on Labrys' face, and then she turned her attention to the bag of gifts. "Now, about your presents..."

Sho watched as she unpacked the bag, no longer as interested as he'd been before. While he did enjoy seeing his lovers happy, what he'd gotten already was the greatest gift he could've ever asked for - and for the first time in a long while, he looked forward to what the future had in store.

The future that he would make together with Yu and Rise... yeah, that sounded _right._

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might do an epilogue like I did with the original fic, but I haven't decided yet. Until then, this is Book End.


	15. life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write that epilogue after all. It's very short, in contrast to the super long epilogue for the first fic.
> 
> I'm not specifying an exact timeframe for this, but it takes place a while after Yu and Rise get married.

* * *

As it turned out, caring for a child was an impossible task for Sho.

On a few occasions now, he had been given the responsibility of caring for Yu and Rise's young daughter - a little bundle of energy from the moment she was born, taking after her mother, and while she _was_ kind of cute, Sho just couldn't keep up. He found himself getting frustrated more often than not, and in those cases, he ceded control to his other half; Minazuki had more patience, and he was better at communicating with people, and if their exchanges with Nanako in the past were any indicator, that included small children.

Nanako was well on her way to adulthood herself now, and Sho had finally managed to connect with her in a meaningful way. _This_ little one, though... well, Sho was grateful that he didn't have to care for her _himself_ today. He maintained a distance as he watched the kid run around the house, chasing her "aunt Naoto" in an admittedly adorable game of tag.

A question that Sho had raised to Minazuki in the past flickered through his thoughts, and he tried to dismiss it - but his other half caught on to the fact that he'd had a thought, and as per usual, the jackass already had an idea of what it was.

 _'Do you perhaps wish to father a child of your own?'_ Minazuki inquired, sounding amused. _'I would aid you in that endeavor, of course. While I'm sure you would enjoy the... **process,** you've shown yourself to be quite inept at what follows.'_

" _Ew,_ " Sho proclaimed in response to Minazuki's observation. "Don't say it like that. If _you_ wanna be a dad, I won't stop ya, but I'm pretty sure those two already have their hands full with this one."

 _'Need I remind you that, genetically speaking, that would be impossible?'_ Minazuki brought up the same argument that he'd used last time - and it was every bit as meaningless this time. _'At best, I could use your body to-'_

"Don't. Finish. That. Thought." Sho felt like slapping his own head, even though he knew that Minazuki wouldn't be able to feel it. "Besides, it doesn't matter. Even if I'm the _biological_ dad, you'd be the _actual_ one. Kinda like Yu and his uncle Dojima."

Sho had met Yu's parents once or twice now, and... they were better than Ikutsuki, at least. Seeing them, it was no surprise that Yu was closer with his uncle than his actual parents.

 _'I'd say that hardly qualifies as a fair comparison,'_ Minazuki insisted, difficult as always. _'...That said, I would not be opposed to relieving you of parenting duties. You'd best ask Kujikawa if she would find the arrangement acceptable.'_

"Yeah... I'm _not_ doing that to her right now." Sho leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest; _one_ small child was _more_ than enough for even _four_ people to take care of. "...Maybe once _this_ one's older."

As long as he had Minazuki to help him out, Sho wasn't actually _opposed_ to the idea of becoming a father himself. He could never do it alone, of course - but Minazuki had promised to remain with him until the day he died, and that promise hadn't been broken yet, so there was no reason to believe it would _ever_ be.

They'd both talked it over with Yu and Rise too, of course, but the general consensus was that the timing just _wasn't right._ Still, Minazuki tried to egg Sho on, and there was probably a _reason_ for that-

" _Wait._ " Realization dawned upon Sho quite suddenly, and a stupid grin spread across his face. "Don't tell me that you _like_ this?"

 _'...Perhaps I do,'_ Minazuki admitted, after a short silence. _'There is a certain... inexplicable joy in bringing a new life into this world, and aiding in that new life's development... in the past, we have only ever brought death. It would be an excellent way to laugh in the face of your father's twisted legacy.'_

That was one _weird_ way to get revenge, but Sho didn't exactly disagree. Though Ikutsuki was long dead now, his memory forgotten by all but those who were directly impacted by him, Sho often wondered if that worthless father of his was watching on from the afterlife - and if he was also _disappointed_ in the one he had once called his son.

After all, they had _both_ failed in bringing about the end of the world, yet Sho had survived and abandoned that goal. To think that he had once desperately chased after that man, wanting to follow in his footsteps-

"Then I'll let _you_ have the _experience,_ " Sho offered, and he gave a short laugh. "It's not just _my_ body, y'know. It's _yours,_ too."

 _'...It is, indeed.'_ There was a time when Minazuki would have deflected that statement, but now, he accepted it without complaint; he, too, had grown, and in a sense, Sho was proud of him for it. Maybe that was a strange sentiment to express toward one's caretaker, but it was how he felt - technically, Minazuki _was_ younger, and if anyone asked, Sho could just use that excuse.

"I'm back." Yu announced his arrival as he stepped in through the front door, and his daughter rushed to greet him, easily distracted from her game. He hoisted her into the air with both arms, smiling up at her, and the sight sparked something in Sho's heart - something which he struggled to put into words, but at the moment, he didn't _need_ to.

Life was _never_ boring in the Narukami-Kujikawa household, and while Sho had never gotten a ring of his own - he had exchanged matching necklaces with them instead, modeled after the key pendant he had been left with as a boy - he and his other half were _theirs_ as well, and both Yu and Rise had sworn that they always _would_ be.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible at names, so the kid doesn't get a name. Sorry!


End file.
